Balenciaga’s latest merch collection looks to expand on its Balenciaga Music sub-label, with a series of hoodies and T-shirts embedded with NFC (Near-Field Communication) chips that link directly to music from one of artistic director Demna’s favorite collectives, Archive. For the collaboration, the British trip-hop group produced an 8.5-minute exclusive track, titled “Patterns,” that can only be accessed by scanning the brand’s new garments.<\/p>\n
\u201cMusic is a big part of my life and is an integral part of\u00a0Balenciaga<\/span>\u2019s culture,\u201d said Demna in a statement. \u201cBalenciaga<\/span> Music was created to share my favorite musical artists and their personal tastes and influences. We have now expanded this project to give a more personal and complete music experience with exclusive content and interactive technology.\u201d<\/p>\n The drop marks the first time that Balenciaga has utilized a digital product passport (DDP), which can be updated with new features in the future, for its designs. Notably, it’s also the first time that a brand has utilized a DDP to provide customers with exclusive access to music through clothing.<\/p>\n