Images of Fashion Week are likely to conjure up posh catwalk photos, celebrity-filled front rows and barricades: In New York, Milan, Paris and London, events are cordoned off, limited only to press, shoppers and people who have social networks. communities that exceed the million mark.
But now comes the metaverse, where life is different, and where Fashion Week is more of a democratic and free space for all.
In truth, it was only a matter of time before the metaverse functioned as the center stage for industry-defining moments. The fashion industry is an early adopter of this space, with major league designers seizing the opportunities for digital and virtual fashion (think Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Balenciaga, you get the picture).
This overlap between immersive digital realms and fashion has been taken a step further by Decentraland, a browser-based 3D virtual world, which is hosting a major multi-day fashion event. Over the course of three days, from March 24 to 27, Decentraland organizes metaverse fashion week (MVFW22), with a group of participating brands, artists and designers, with artificial intelligence and robots, luxury wearable devices and immersive experiences on the catwalk.
Tommy Hilfiger participated in Metaverse Fashion Week.
Credit: Decentraland/Boston Protocol
Indeed, it appears to be an ambitious endeavor, but the platform ensured the presence of luxury designers, big fashion houses, and major retailers to participate. The list itself is huge. Think: Estée Lauder, Philipp Plein, DKNY, Karl Lagerfeld, Dolce & Gabbana, Selfridges, Forever 21, Perry Ellis America… I could go on.
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Shows and events take place in community-run neighborhoods within Decentraland. Selfridges and Forever 21 have even bought real estate in the metaverse, featuring their flagship stores during MVFW, featuring NFT apparel and exclusive online collections that users can shop. Other brands, like Tommy Hilfiger, also offer physical products like NFTs. To make purchases (and create a Decentraland account), you will need an Ethereum wallet. Otherwise, you can attend as a guest.
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Among these designer experiences is a fashion week staple: after parties, which include performances by meta-artists and real-life artists (!), including Grimes. The metaverse-savvy singer is set to close digital fashion house Auroboros’ MVFW show with a DJ set at the Fashion Week finale inside the luxury fashion district of Decentraland.
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The most surprising part of the Metaverse Fashion Week extravaganza is how it differs from fashion week in reality. Within the digital ecosystem, anyone can attend, paving the way to remove exclusivity and allow more fashion enthusiasts to experience something completely new.
“We just leveled the playing field for the world of fashion and lowered the limitations.”
“Decentraland is a virtual social world for everyone, anywhere,” says Decentraland Foundation Creative Director Sam Hamilton. “A space built and managed by its community. Through MVFW22, we strive to broaden the horizon of what ‘metaverse’ means. We just level the playing field for the world of fashion and lower the limitations.”
So what is MVFW really like, with all its offerings?
jusi crypto, a YouTuber detailing her experience at MVFW, noted that there weren’t many people in attendance, at least at the time she walked in. “There aren’t many people, surprisingly,” he said. The atmosphere changed once she entered a concert organized by “Meta performer” Serena Elis, where a group of avatars had gathered for her set and things seemed a bit more fun.
The YouTuber also pointed out that playing in a browser isn’t ideal, leading to a fair amount of “chopping”, which I can attest to as well.
I entered the metaverse for the first time, hoping to immerse myself in, or even catch a glimpse of, the promise of digital fashion. My laptop didn’t respond well (sad face), to say the least, indicating the potential limits of browser-based virtual worlds. Decentraland itself recommends using either Chrome or Firefox to ensure optimal performance on a Mac or PC, although using these two browsers on a laptop has constant glitches.
However, making an avatar and setting up Decentraland was decidedly simpler when things were working.
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However, Twitter users (and those arguably more familiar with the metaverse as a whole) seemed to enjoy the experience. Many talked about the performances, in particular, while others shared their outfits, which consist of extravagant digital wearable devices.
WWD keeps a running diary of the event, with attendees detailing each show and performance. Interestingly, the Dolce & Gabbana show was said to be similar to what “real life catwalk events” are: hard to get a front row seat, that is. The show itself looked visually stunning, with large strobe lights and models strutting from large lotus-like concoctions. The trendy publication also suggested changing the graphics settings to “low” to improve visuals and avoid lag.
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This digital Fashion Week shows how a large-scale, multi-day event could work in the metaverse, while also pointing to a rise in retailers and brands hoping to take advantage of the possibilities offered by platforms like Decentraland. Fashion has no problem experimenting, and many have already jumped on the bandwagon of NFTs and other virtual assets. The question remains whether consumers will look to build a digital wardrobe and increase demand for digital assets, but interest levels are high as of late.
If you want to try your hand at MVFW, you can enter Decentraland here. The events will be available until March 27.
Source: mashable.com