Blockchain and Unique ID technologies
Blockchain and Web3 technologies are innovative digital systems that operate in a decentralized manner. They employ cryptographic techniques, smart contracts, and distributed ledgers to ensure transparency, security, and user-centeredness in the development of applications and services.
These technologies enable trust, immutability, and verifiability, revolutionizing various industries including finance, supply chain management, and even fashion.
By leveraging blockchain and Web3, organizations can enhance data integrity, streamline processes, and empower users with greater control over their digital interactions. Blockchain and Web3 technologies have emerged as powerful tools in various industries, including the fashion industry with promise of offerings of several potential applications and benefits.
Blockchain technology involves using a distributed and immutable ledger to record and verify various aspects of the fashion supply chain, such as the origin and authenticity of raw materials, the manufacturing processes, and the final product distribution.
By leveraging blockchain, fashion brands can establish greater transparency, traceability, and accountability throughout their supply chains, addressing issues like counterfeiting, unethical practices, and lack of visibility. Through blockchain and Web3 technologies, fashion companies can enhance trust and authenticity, as customers can verify the origin and quality of products using immutable records stored on the blockchain. This can help build user confidence and combat the proliferation of counterfeit goods in the market.
Additionally, blockchain can facilitate more efficient and secure transactions within the fashion industry. Smart contracts, which are self-executing contracts stored on the blockchain, can automate various aspects of fashion transactions, including payment settlements, royalties, and licensing agreements. This reduces the need for intermediaries, streamlines processes, and minimizes the risk of fraud or disputes.
Furthermore, blockchain-based platforms can enable peer-to-peer interactions and decentralized marketplaces, allowing fashion designers, artisans, and independent creators to showcase and sell their products directly to users without the need for traditional intermediaries. This opens up new opportunities for small-scale designers and promotes a more inclusive and diverse fashion ecosystem.
Note: While the potential of blockchain and Web3 technologies in the fashion industry is significant, their widespread adoption is still evolving, and specific implementation and real-life study cases may vary.
Case studies
Aura Blockchain Consortium – Luxury product traceability platform
Aura Blockchain Consortium brings together luxury groups such as LVMH, Prada Group, and Cartier (Richemont) to provide a shared blockchain infrastructure for product authentication and traceability. Each item receives a unique digital record, allowing brands and wearers to verify origin, ownership history, and repair events across the full product life cycle.
Project link
TextileGenesis – Fiber-to-retail textile traceability
TextileGenesis is a blockchain-based traceability platform that issues digital “fibercoins” to track certified fibers such as TENCEL, wool, and recycled polyester from raw material through spinning, weaving, and garment production. By assigning unique digital identities to material lots, the system enables brands and manufacturers to evidence chain-of-custody data and support credible sustainability claims.
Project link
Arianee – Digital product passports for luxury goods
Arianee provides a decentralized protocol for digital product passports and ownership certificates for luxury fashion, watches, and accessories. Each physical product can be associated with a unique, NFT-based “digital passport” that records authenticity, ownership transfers, and service events, enabling new models for resale, repair, and clienteling.
Project link
VeChain – Blockchain traceability solutions for fashion and lifestyle brands
VeChain offers blockchain-as-a-service tools used by fashion and lifestyle brands to build traceability and anti-counterfeiting systems, linking unique QR/NFC/RFID identifiers on products to immutable supply chain records. By scanning a product, wearers can access verified information on raw materials, manufacturing, logistics, and authenticity, which supports both compliance and brand storytelling.
Project link
EON – Digital IDs and Circular Product Passports for fashion
EON’s Circular Product Data Protocol and digital ID platform assign persistent identities to fashion products so that information on materials, care, ownership, resale, rental, and recycling can be shared across the ecosystem. The system underpins circular business models and future digital product passport requirements by making item-level data machine-readable and interoperable across brands, retailers, and recyclers.
Project link
References
Wang, Y., Luo, W., Zhang, X., Tian, Z., & Li, Z. (2020). Blockchain-enabled circular supply chain management: A system architecture for fast fashion. Computers in Industry, 123, 103324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compind.2020.103324
Shou, M., & Domenech, T. (2022). Integrating LCA and blockchain technology to promote circular fashion – A case study of leather handbags. Journal of Cleaner Production, 373, 133557. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133557
de Boissieu, M., Kondrateva, G., Baudier, P., & Ammi, C. (2021). Blockchain in the luxury industry: A systematized literature review. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 34(5), 1307–1338. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-11-2020-0471
Akhtar, W. H., Watanabe, C., Tou, Y., & Neittaanmäki, P. (2022). A new perspective on the textile and apparel industry in the digital transformation era. Textiles, 2(4), 633–656. https://doi.org/10.3390/textiles2040037
Bertola, P., & Teunissen, J. (2018). Fashion 4.0. Innovating fashion industry through digital transformation. Research Journal of Textile and Apparel, 22(4), 352–369. https://doi.org/10.1108/RJTA-03-2018-0023