Flowerboy Project, a phygital flower and coffee bodega based in Venice, California, has dropped a line of limited-edition digital bouquets just in time for Valentine’s Day. These virtual flower arrangements are available for purchase today — February 1 — via Flowerboy’s Shopify store, with price points ranging from $47 to $275.
Bouquet offerings include 31 static bouquets in editions of 125, an additional 75 bouquets featuring 360-degree rotation lighting, as well as other NFTs that include material and lighting animations.
Each digital bouquet was created with some of the most advanced technologies currently used in VFX film and animation to create hyperrealistic images. The arrangements were first designed in-store by Flowerboy Project’s founders, LA-based interior and landscape designers Sean Knibb and Stella Shirinida.
Using photos from the arrangements as a reference, a team of specialized digital flower modelers then recreated each arrangement by virtually painting the mirror image by hand. No 3D scanning tools were involved in the process, and the project took more than a year to design, model, curate, and render.
The digital bouquets are minted on the Ethereum blockchain to ensure their authenticity and are powered by Verisart’s Web3 Shopify App. In an effort to make the experience more accessible to those new to the Web3 space, credit cards and other verified payment providers are accepted — meaning that customers do not need an NFT wallet to purchase a bouquet, yet can store it in their wallet after purchase.
Flowerboy calls its studio a central hub, a place for an exchange of ideas and energy. Image: Flowerboy Project
Flowerboy’s digital bouquets will also be available for purchase through the studio’s recently launched digital shop, which includes a 360-degree view of the real-life store with the ability to seamlessly move through the space, mimicking the experience of browsing and finding unexpected gifts.
Bringing the tradition of flower-giving into the virtual world, the project “makes it easier to bring the ritual and artistry of giving flowers to the world,” according to co-founder Sean Knibb. Added Knibb, “In our digitally connected community we offer the consumer a choice to visually communicate feeling and intention to one another through our digital bouquets, creating a gift with longevity and remembrance.”
This crossover between the physical store and digital shop is reflective of Knibb’s and Shrinida’s playful design sensibilities. Reflecting their aesthetic cultivation, Flowerboy succeeds in melding dedicated digital spaces within a hyperlocal setting, creating a globally shared local experience.
Future digital bouquet drops are currently in the works, including limited-edition collaborations with like-minded brands and innovators that will range in price from $800 to $1,500.
