In the past year, there’s been a lot of talk about the internet's new favourite buzzword: The Metaverse. Is it a fancy way of referring to VR (virtual reality)? A less dystopian version of the Upside Down or a digital space of endless possibilities? Maybe it’s all of them.
Unless you’ve been hibernating underneath a rock, you’ve probably seen the phrase the Metaverse popping up here and there or been exposed to the eerie virtual replica of Mark Zuckerberg.
But, put simply, the Metaverse is another word for cyberspace. With its emergence, many global businesses have delved into the unknown world of the Metaverse, particularly fashion brands!
Here are five examples of fashion brands taking advantage of virtual reality!
Depop x The Sims
Thrifting and upcycling have had a resurgence in recent years - with Gen Zers and TikTok to thank. Fashion resale app, Depop, has expanded to the Metaverse recently with their newly announced collaboration with The Sims.
As part of the game’s new expansion pack, the fashion marketplace has designed a limited-edition collection of VR clothing that users can purchase for their Sims in a virtual thrift store/ boba tea hangout called 'ThriftTea'.
Users will be rewarded for reselling their outfits via the in-game app, Trendi. Depop has also announced that five top sellers will create three custom pieces to feature in the game!
Gucci x Roblox
Designer fashion house, Gucci, has teamed up with the popular video game Roblox to release a permanent space called Gucci Town.
After the success of the Gucci Garden, which was featured in the game last year, Gucci Town is a permanent new addition which features a central garden, spaces for mini-games, a cafe and a virtual store - to purchase Gucci, of course.
According to Gucci, more than 20 million players visited the garden despite it only being open for two weeks. The garden's launch has evolved into the creation of Gucci Town, which has proved to be just as, if not more, successful.
Due to the high volume of sales within their Metaverse space, Gucci’s revenue is consistently soaring and they're set to make even more plans for the virtual world.
Balmain x Barbie
With the upcoming Barbie motion picture at the forefront of everyone’s mind, Barbie has been a hot topic in and out of the Metaverse. This year, Barbie announced a new collaboration with fashion-powerhouse and the influencer-favourite brand, Balmain.
The collaboration featured a ready-to-wear fashion line designed specifically for NFTs. The Barbie avatars wearing the collection were auctioned off to the highest bidders and perfectly exemplified the digital art meeting fashion!
Metaverse Fashion Week
Fashion week has been a looming ethical debate over recent years due to its direct impact on the environment and climate change. This year, the Metaverse launched its first-ever fashion week, showcasing the latest collections from high-end designers in virtual reality form.
Fashion week in the Metaverse featured shows from major-league designers such as Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Balenciaga, Dolce & Gabbana and more.
The events took place within Decentraland, and participants were allowed to purchase the NFTs featured within the shows and immerse themselves into the new world of digital fashion!
YSL Printable Lipstick
YSL (Yves Saint Laurent), the renowned high-fashion and beauty designer brand, has taken a different approach to the Metaverse. Instead of focussing on collaborations with gaming companies, the fashion-house has branched out to using AI (artificial intelligence) technology.
YSL recently released their AI-powered device, which broke the internet; everyone from bloggers to celebrities flocked to discuss the groundbreaking product. The personal lipstick shade creator uses AI technology which links to an app to create exact shade matches.
Using your smartphone camera, you can also try on the different shades before mixing your exact match!
And there you have it, just a few ways fashion brands have delved into the Metaverse. Although we’re not replacing physical fashion anytime soon, the prospect and evolution of digital fashion is an exciting concept, and we’re excited to see how this venture continues to develop!
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