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Selfridges to become world's first retailer to sell fixed price NFTs over the counter

Tom Shearsmith
13 January 2022

In partnership with the Fondation Vasarely and Paco Rabanne, Selfridges will present Universe, a celebration of the work of optical art movement pioneer Victor Vasarely, and become the world's first retailer to sell fixed price NFTs over the counter.

Vasarely was an innovator of 20th-century abstract art, best known for his pioneering geometric designs. Universe will include an exhibition of 55 works by the artist, none of which have been shown in the UK in over 50 years. 37 will be available for sale, alongside a series of specially commissioned NFTs created by London-based NFT platform, Substance.

The NFTs feature either rare artworks by Victor Vasarely or one of the ‘Unwearables’, the first 12 iconic dresses ever created by Paco Rabanne.

The project will also celebrate the launch of Paco Rabanne’s Spring Summer 2022 collection for which Creative Director Julien Dossena has taken the work of Vasarely as his starting point. Dossena worked closely with the Fondation Vasarely to reimagine some of Vasarely’s iconic geometric patterns into printed, jacquard, chainmail and sequined fabrics.

Ready-to-wear and accessories from the new Paco Rabanne collection will launch throughout the season at Selfridges, available to buy or rent.

Funds raised from the sale of NFTs will go to the Fondation Vasarely Museum, Aix-en-Provence, an ‘Architectonic Centre’ for the artist’s archive and large-scale installations, to support restoration of key artworks.

Vasarely Op Art NFT Selfridges

Visitors will be able to experience the optical tricks, illusions and kinetic energy of Vasarely’s work across the Oxford Street store, including the storefront where each of the 24 windows will be individually wrapped in Vasarely’s iconic designs.

Substance has also created a virtual reality environment (a metaverse), in which visitors will be able to interact with Vasarely’s calibrated patterns. The metaverse will be accessible online at Decentraland and NFTs will be available to purchase in the Oxford Street store or online via Substance’s platform from Friday 28 January 2022.

Sebastian Manes, Selfridges Executive Buying & Merchandising Director, has said: “As Selfridges looks to the future, we continue to find inspiration in the past. In the case of Victor Vasarely and Paco Rabanne, we have more than fifty years of proposals for the future to explore. I love the idea of bringing Vasarely’s art to a social space like Selfridges – alongside the distinct identity of Paco Rabanne – and using their vision as way to bring emotion, connection and accessibility to the experience.”

It recently was confirmed that Central Group and Signa have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Selfridges Group business from the Weston family.

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