Emma-Jane MacKinnon-Lee
news
shop
feature
interviews
feed
links
DAILY IMAGE
HEY MR DJ!
ممكن معاك حقّ
¡En marcha!
Generative Markets: Challenged by Social Media, Web3 Commerce and AI
You are locked in a room.
Whether it’s IRL, virtual, or some hybrid in between. Remember, as if you were there. The pinball machine, the joystick, the change machine, the automat. It’s an arcade, with the clink of coins, the flicker of screens. More than nostalgia and style. All from a time just yesterday, but just as much sometime long “before now”. It’s all tokens now. Keys to language machines that unlock encrypted paths to skills and wealth.
If we can keep up.
These are not just machines. They provoke the human in us, stitch together the chance to create surplus value from upgraded networks, but also bring nightmares of access denied, never to be unlocked again.
There’s this promise on the other side of costly divides, and their gatekeepers. We are creators and collectors, standing at the glass window, looking in.
A few insights about fashion and marketing as we continue to work to unbundle the industry:
Personal Expression Over Too Much Design: What’s real? What’s a pose? It’s not about clothing wearing you but how you are wearing the clothing. Streetwear is an extension of the person wearing it. Be careful not to turn people into little more than a mere display for the cloth and ink. This emphasizes the individuality and unique personal expression carried through fashion.
Start with Character and Atmosphere: In the design synthing process, start with the facial structures, personality, and ambiance of the person. The clothing isn’t a standalone item but part of a scene or story that would happen regardless of an observer’s presence. This adds authenticity and realism, making the design resonate more strongly. It’s your defiance, the “idgaf” attitude, and your stance that says, “I’m here anyway.”
The Flaw in “Future of Fashion” Concepts: Many designers aim to innovate in fashion design by focusing too much on the technical or avant-garde aspects, like extravagant accessories or futuristic materials. This overlooks the human element, resulting in designs that may look exciting but lack depth and connection to real people and stories.
Marketing Through Storytelling: Brands from the pre-web3 era, like Nike, succeed not merely by selling a product but by selling an experience, a lifestyle, and a narrative that resonates with people. This is one of the few lessons that carry over into web3, with even more potency than before. The product itself becomes secondary to the stories and emotions it evokes.
The Importance of Authenticity in Communication: The success of a fashion item isn’t just in its appearance but in how it tells a story and connects with individuals on a personal level. Posed or artificial communication creates a disconnect, while natural, genuine storytelling can make people imagine themselves in the scene, wearing the outfits, and living the life.
The Limitations of Superficial Brands: Brands that focus only on trends or price points without investing in storytelling or authenticity will be exposed as temporary or “knockoff” market players. They fail to connect with a lasting cultural impact because they don’t have a deeper narrative about the people living in their clothing, or any reason for you to remain loyal to them .
A Lesson from Coin Op Synths: The first Coin Op synths are successful because they tell a subtle, specific story where characters feel real and within reach. Don’t lose that touch by tilting towards excessive posturing in your designs.
It’s a quest for skills, making the web3 commerce and generative AI markets not just accessible but engaging. Encryption and privacy, instead of unrelatable technical jargon, now build trust, securing your personal information and making decentralized production a reality.
It’s a world we all build through each quest, creation, platform independent social share, and purchase — where creativity meets practicality, where friction becomes a challenge, giving you a more direct way to climb Maslow’s ladder.
Whether it’s IRL, virtual, or some hybrid in between. Remember, as if you were there. The pinball machine, the joystick, the change machine, the automat. It’s an arcade, with the clink of coins, the flicker of screens. More than nostalgia and style. All from a time just yesterday, but just as much sometime long “before now”. It’s all tokens now. Keys to language machines that unlock encrypted paths to skills and wealth.
If we can keep up.
These are not just machines. They provoke the human in us, stitch together the chance to create surplus value from upgraded networks, but also bring nightmares of access denied, never to be unlocked again.
There’s this promise on the other side of costly divides, and their gatekeepers. We are creators and collectors, standing at the glass window, looking in.
A few insights about fashion and marketing as we continue to work to unbundle the industry:
Personal Expression Over Too Much Design: What’s real? What’s a pose? It’s not about clothing wearing you but how you are wearing the clothing. Streetwear is an extension of the person wearing it. Be careful not to turn people into little more than a mere display for the cloth and ink. This emphasizes the individuality and unique personal expression carried through fashion.
Start with Character and Atmosphere: In the design synthing process, start with the facial structures, personality, and ambiance of the person. The clothing isn’t a standalone item but part of a scene or story that would happen regardless of an observer’s presence. This adds authenticity and realism, making the design resonate more strongly. It’s your defiance, the “idgaf” attitude, and your stance that says, “I’m here anyway.”
The Flaw in “Future of Fashion” Concepts: Many designers aim to innovate in fashion design by focusing too much on the technical or avant-garde aspects, like extravagant accessories or futuristic materials. This overlooks the human element, resulting in designs that may look exciting but lack depth and connection to real people and stories.
Marketing Through Storytelling: Brands from the pre-web3 era, like Nike, succeed not merely by selling a product but by selling an experience, a lifestyle, and a narrative that resonates with people. This is one of the few lessons that carry over into web3, with even more potency than before. The product itself becomes secondary to the stories and emotions it evokes.
The Importance of Authenticity in Communication: The success of a fashion item isn’t just in its appearance but in how it tells a story and connects with individuals on a personal level. Posed or artificial communication creates a disconnect, while natural, genuine storytelling can make people imagine themselves in the scene, wearing the outfits, and living the life.
The Limitations of Superficial Brands: Brands that focus only on trends or price points without investing in storytelling or authenticity will be exposed as temporary or “knockoff” market players. They fail to connect with a lasting cultural impact because they don’t have a deeper narrative about the people living in their clothing, or any reason for you to remain loyal to them .
A Lesson from Coin Op Synths: The first Coin Op synths are successful because they tell a subtle, specific story where characters feel real and within reach. Don’t lose that touch by tilting towards excessive posturing in your designs.
It’s a quest for skills, making the web3 commerce and generative AI markets not just accessible but engaging. Encryption and privacy, instead of unrelatable technical jargon, now build trust, securing your personal information and making decentralized production a reality.
It’s a world we all build through each quest, creation, platform independent social share, and purchase — where creativity meets practicality, where friction becomes a challenge, giving you a more direct way to climb Maslow’s ladder.
NEWS OF NEW
JOIN THE MAILING LIST
ENTREVISTA - 2025
DIGITALAX + FASHION ON ETHEREUM
Since 2019, I've been building, full-time, factorial combinators of the principles of web3 that scale through greater use — self sovereignty, decentralisation and open access.
שלום I'm now based in Uruguay. Connect on Lens! שלום
Got a problem with that? Speak to the agents…