Urban Outfitters enters the NFT game with the help of Cryptoon Goonz

NFTs have officially made it to Urban Outfitters. The lifestyle retail store is partnering with NFT community Cryptoon Goonz to present an exclusive five-piece T-shirt collection. A couple of Cryptoon Goonz’s signature characters make appearances throughout the capsule, and 500 NFTs will also release to accompany the apparel.

UO NFTs — Each tee features an original design by CG founder Sean Morgan, who is also a renowned tattoo artist, depicting a signature rubber-hose character doing activites from skateboarding to playing basketball. Two of the shirts are tan-and-black long-sleeve pullovers that feature the same character design style.

“There’s plenty of crossover between the streetwear mindset and what makes NFT communities special,” Morgan said in the press release. “Art, collectibles, appreciation of obscure references, the feeling of being ‘in the know’ and continuously pushing the boundaries of culture.”

The duo is also giving shoppers the chance to win an exclusive UO x Cryptoon Goonz NFT by way of a raffle. Upon purchase of one of the collection’s t-shirts or pullovers — priced at $35 and $69, respectively — customers can simply scan the QR code on the shirt’s tag to be entered. For free entry, interested parties can also send a 3-by-5-inch card with their name, address, and email address to the Cryptoon Goonz HQ in New York City. The raffle officially ends July 31, and 500 winners will be chosen.

Streetwear in the metaverse — Urban Outfitters certainly isn’t the first retail store to get nifty with NFTs. Heritage names like Lacoste, Diesel, and Ralph Lauren have already dabbled in the metaverse, while others like Nike, Adidas, and New Balance are already deep into their own contributions. Streetwear and NFTs specifically are becoming well acquainted, which gives creators and brands of all calibers the chance to participate.

Cryptoon Goonz also makes clear that it isn’t just another digital community interested in making a quick buck off NFTs. According to Morgan, Cryptoon Goonz puts “streetwear at the heart of all [it does]” and prides itself on making quality art. There are 6,969 unique characters in the Goonz archive that exemplify the collective’s (and Urban Outfitter’s) love of streetwear, hip-hop, and pop culture.

The collection launched during NFT NYC on Monday with a special event at Urban Outfitter’s Herald Square flagship store. Urban Outfitters and Cryptoon Goonz allowed attendees to screenprint exclusive co-branded graphics and observe the live minting of an original NFT.

When describing bringing the collection to life, which is now available on the retailer’s website, Morgan said the partnership with Urban Outfitters felt “natural.” He described UO’s consumers as being “the coolest kid in every city,” and it seems all the cool kids have their fits ready for the metaverse, too.