THE METAVERSE IS TAKING OVER

Words by Chantalle El Sharkawy

Lately, there has been a vast amount of discussion surrounding the Metaverse. To brieflybreakdown the idea of fashion shows in the Metaverse, you need to know what the Metaverse actually is and why brands are joining it.

The Metaverse is a digital space where users can take part in activities they used to do in their daily lives. This used to be exclusively shopping, but now you can also attend fashion shows from the comfort of your own home (and ,I for one, cannot wait). Many brands have evolved and adapted to this online public sphere, where parties, launch events, and the release of exclusive deals are all made for those on the Metaverse (Tompson, 2022). Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Givenchy are just some of brands that have embraced what this space has to offer.

Recently, in an act of goodwill, Gucci released a product classed as an NFT (an NFT being a non-fungible token aka a digital asset that symbolizes physical objects); the NFT in question was in the form of a four-minute filmthat was created to co-exist alongside their runway show. This was then auctioned off, and the profitwas donated towards UNICEF USA, and contributed towards the initiatives surrounding COVID-19 vaccines (Paul, 2022). Last year, Gucci also began selling digital products on a gaming platform known as Roblox, yet as these were not NFT’s they only had value on Roblox and none in reality whatsoever (Paul, 2022). Yet, as Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit, stated, ‘A Gucci bag in Roblox resold for 350,000 Roblox or roughly $4,115. The same purse IRL costs $3,400’, we’ve somehow reached a time where the value of this digital piece is worth more than the physical bag (Ohanian, 2021). This really shows how brands are adapting to the changes taking place in the digital landscape in which we are immersed by. The obscene amount of money that can be made through digital pieces is building the foundations of a new imaginative playground for these creators to explore.

The Metaverse conducted its very own virtual fashion week this year. It featured many luxury brands as well as digital designers on the platform known as Decentraland, a non-profitorganization that oversaw the whole of the web-based platform. Decentraland would set you up with a digital wallet so you can buy and sell digital pieces using their very own currency. To create the boundary-breaking fashion week the Metaverse used a 3D engine called Threedium to bring it all to life. Anyone who had access to a digital device would be permitted to attend the event by simply registering their email. All attendees had a personalised avatar as a nod towards the early 2000s online games, which (if you reach back into your memory for days of MovieStarPlanet and the like) were always equipped with customizable avatars.

Seating was assigned to the avatars so that they could attend the fashion shows and events, as people would in the real-world, this also included meeting experts within the industry from those working in the media to the designers of upcoming new online labels. Some of the recognisable names that featured include D&G, Tommy Hilfige, Elie Saab and Cavalli. It is undeniable that ‘the help of new technology means fashion can be part of your life online as it is offline (Metaverse Fashion Week ‘22, 2022). The Metaverse fashion week also lets you purchase digital and physical pieces from designers of your choice, enabling individuals to wear it not only in Decentraland but also as a real-life garment. However, for the physical piece to be

claimed, they firsthad to be bought as an NFT, not only as a way of making sure the digital pieces were purchased but as a way of taking shopping to the next level by moving away from the physical and traditional shopping experience. This newfound ability to present the fashion show digitally allows designers to produce items in an economically sufficientmanner, meaning that the creations depend on the number of sales made. It’s impossible to ignore that the way in which we shop, attend events, and invest in pieces has vastly changed. Furthermore, the Metaverse fashion week included panel discussions, modelling workshops and interviews as well a show by Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana in which twenty wearable looks on the Metaverse were presented. Dolce & Gabbana designed cat avatars to be their models, not only as a clear way of marking their transition to the digital age but simultaneously as a very tongue-in-cheek pun of the term ‘catwalk’. Held in a virtual hall with flowerson the podium, each cat had its personal and distinct style, stitching together the digital and physical fashion show through the sheer boldness and uniqueness of their designs. Not to be outdone, Tommy Hilfigerwas also one of the major players of the Metaverse fashion show. The NFT they offered was redeemable for a limited-edition product from the 2022 spring collection while simultaneously offering 30 available garments for the avatars themselves. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the ability to sell both physical, as well as digital pieces, has extended the revenues and success of the brand. According to Martijn Hagman, CEO of Tommy Hilfige, the ‘consumers are showing an appetite for these interactions, and we are committed to being relevant on their journey’ (Hirschmiller, 2022). Hagman went on to mention how this is a new and exciting way of experimenting and hopes to achieve a ‘seamless consumer journey’ (Hirschmiller, 2022). All of these competing brands are being pushed to function in the digital ecosystem in a manner that encourages them to engage with their customers in new and innovative methods. I’m not only impressed by the positive environmental implications that digital fashion will invoke but personally, I am behind this new fashion movement every step of the way. Although, I remain curious to see what this means for models and the future of campaigns when digitally releasing new products and lines becomes mainstream. Are digital models the future? Will purchasing habits shift to being solely online? Will real life fashion shows eventually come to an end?

DesIgn by Mia Wilson