They Are NFTs, Hear Them Roar

Women-led NFT projects are starting to proliferate, although they remain a small slice of a landscape that has been male-dominated to date. Female artists, for example, account for less than 16% of the NFT art market and just 5% of NFT sales overall, according to ArtTactic.

Most of the female-led NFT projects are positioned as being supportive and encouraging to women who want to create, own, or trade NFTs; as inclusive to all races, ethnicities, and gender-identification; and/or as a political statement of sorts about the need for equity in the NFT space. Graphically, the projects typically consist of a collection of one-of-a-kind images depicting women, or female characters, in all their variation. Most projects begin with a collection of 10,000 NFTs—although there are exceptions to that norm—giving them a decent-sized community at launch, and they often have a charitable component. Some are starting to extend their brands into entertainment and consumer products.

Examples include:

• World of Women (WoW). After signing a deal in February with Hello Sunshine for film and television development, World of Women licensed Jazwares in March as its master collectible and toy partner. The first products, depicting some of WoW’s unique, hand-created digital images designed by Yam Karkai, are set to debut at retail in 2023. Categories under the deal include dolls and accessories, figures, plush, vehicle playsets, role play and costumes, and accessories. WoW also entered into an agreement with The Sandbox that will lead to a WoW University and WoW Academy, WoW avatars, and a WoW museum, all housed within the Sandbox platform, which hopes to draw more female users. Overall, 15% of sales of WoW NFTs benefit emerging NFT artists and women-focused charities. The brand is represented by talent manager Guy O’Seary.

• Boss Beauties and Boss Beauties Role Models. Founded by Lisa Mayer, Boss Beauties offers collections of images portraying women in different career roles, with the Role Models extension featuring real women from history and the present day. The latter was the subject of an exhibit at the United Nations. Proceeds go to charitable work empowering women in their careers, and the NFTs double as tickets for entry into the Boss Beauties Conference, which includes music, arts, and inspirational talks. The brand offers merchandise such as beanies, totes, hoodies, t-shirts, and scarves on its website shop, sales of which help fund scholarships.

• The Flower Girls. This collection mixes and matches 950 hand-drawn attributes by graphic designer and illustrator Varvara Alay, resulting in 10,000 unique women, each with ornate flower headdresses. Twenty percent of both primary and secondary sales go to children’s charities. In March, The Flower Girls partnered with Dolphin Entertainment to expand the brand into entertainment and lifestyle opportunities, as well as expand community perks and charitable ventures.

• Long Neckie Ladies. Created by 13-year-old Nyla Hayes, the debut NFT collection under this brand included 3,333 diverse female avatars created from hand-drawn attributes, all with long necks inspired by Hayes’ childhood love of the brontosaurus. Hayes collaborated with Time magazine for a collection of Long Neckie Ladies of the Year and subsequently became an artist in residence for Time. In February, Hayes signed with CAA for representation of the Long Neckie Ladies in all areas of brand extension.

• Elf Princess. Each NFT depicts a princess with a unique look and empowering characteristics, all designed by artist Tamanna Jain. The Elf Princess brand will also be associated with a line of clothing available both in the metaverse and in the physical world; the first of several planned limited-edition drops is set for launch on November 1, 2022. There will also be a strategy game in which the NFTs serve as avatars, as well as an Elf Energy drink and an Elf Beer, both of which are specially formulated for women.

• 8sian. This project was conceived by Nicole Yap, who saw a gap in content for Asian women in the NFT space and paired with artist MrHike to launch a collection of 8,888 NFTs depicting Asian women. The images are intended to represent and showcase the diverse cultures and heritage found across Asia. Digital plans include a virtual museum and virtual wearables. In the physical world, the brand forged a collaboration with Malaysian pewter manufacturer Royal Selangor, which created a collection of 100 numbered pewter sculptures, introduced during the Metaverse Fashion Week on Decentraland and based on the 8sian Jade Lady NFT; purchasers get a jade-like green skin for their avatars along with the physical figurine. 8sian also paired with Malaysian streetwear label Stoned & Co. for a limited edition of four t-shirts for International Women’s Day.

• Rogue Fox Guild. Co-founded by Anna Stoilova and Silviya Ivanova and having female friendship as a key theme, this 50% female-owned brand is based on a collection of NFTs depicting post-apocalyptic female foxes. The foxes are playable in an online game, with the first of a full “Foxiverse” of three planned game releases already up and running. Ten percent of sales from the NFTs are donated to animal charities selected by the Rogue Fox Guild community. While no deals have been announced yet, comics, animation, and more brand extensions are in the works.

Corporations are starting to enter the women-led NFT space as well. Boohoo, the British fashion brand, launched an NFT collection and a platform called the Boohooverse, which will primarily work with women-led projects and female artists and enter into collaborations with celebrities. L’Oréal Paris USA enlisted five female artists to create NFTs inspired by the shades in its Reds of Worth by Color Riche lipsticks, in a partnership meant to call out the lack of female representation in the NFT space. Licensed entertainment properties are also getting into the game; Boss Beauties paired with both Mattel’s Barbie and Marvel to create collaborative NFT collections. The latter generated pushback from fans due to the eco-unfriendly reputation NFTs have. (Marvel had offered other NFTs prior to the Boss Beauty deal.)

Additional female-led NFT projects that have gained visibility and/or topped the sales charts include Crypto Chicks, Heartbreak Bear, Kumo x World Residents, Remarkable Women, Sad Girls Bar, Women and Weapons, and Women Rise, among a lengthening list of others.

A reminder that the next edition of Raugust Communications’ monthly e-newsletter comes out tomorrow, April 19, 2022. The Licensing Topic of the month looks at how trade shows are changing as they come back live. The Datapoint research spotlight analyzes the varied outbound licensing strategies used by owners of IP with roots in the retail food/beverage and restaurant sectors. If you are not already receiving this free publication by email, you can sign up here.