Welcome back to Runway, where we inform you from the front lines of the digital fashion revolution. In this special issue, we bring you an inside look at metaverse fashion week (MVFW), which will take place from March 28 to 31.
Now in its second edition, Metaverse Fashion Week (originally started by UNXD and Decentraland) is demonstrating interoperability through collaboration with metaverses. Space — the largest social network in 3D — and about realitya blockchain-based AR platform.
Last year’s MVFW was marked by glitches, significant delays, and corrupted screens due to a lack of sophistication in Decentraland’s 3D design capabilities. Despite these technical problems, Decentraland registered 108,00 unique attendees over five dayswith more than 7,000 handheld devices purchased, totaling about $77,000.
What to expect this year
Early Tuesday morning Hong Kong time, we had a video call with Dr. Giovanna Graziosi Casimiro, Head of Metaverse Fashion Week, while still living the last hours of Monday in São Paulo. Gigi, as she prefers to be called, kicked off the conversation by saying, “Anyone on the planet can come and watch the shows for free, making Metaverse Fashion Week a space to bring people together, generations and beyond.”
This year, Gigi explained, there will be less emphasis on shopping. Instead, there will be a strong trend towards community and brand builder contests, where a prize is awarded rather than just showcasing a collection. This MVFW is also marked by an increase in co-creation between cross-generations of designers, where traditional brands collaborate with new studios and new designers. Also, Gigi taught us about emotes, which are 3D animations of your avatars’ body movements that help give you a little more personality than the stiff-moving avatars of the past.
Two big additions this year are the presence of linked handheld devices, and a designated welcome area and maps available for first-time attendees looking for different brand activations.
“We’re really trying to do an experiment of an event not just in one place, but also working with different metaverses and testing physical events,” Gigi told nft Now. “We are exploring how to create those communities globally within our computers and then bring them back to the physical.”
virtual team adidas
One of the most anticipated events this year at MVFW is Adidas’ debut of an immersive community-focused experience where wearers can try on the virtual team, the brand’s first digital clothing collection. Prior to this activation, users could only enjoy their Virtual Gear as a profile picture with Adidas atelier, a branded profile picture styling tool. Virtual Gear NFT holders can now link to a 3D digital twin of their Virtual Gear that their Decentraland avatar can use within the virtual world.
Virtual experience DKNY.3
DKNY continues its participation in Metaverse Fashion Week with DKNY.3, a virtual experience inspired by its Spring 2023 campaign, if you know you know. This year’s theme honors New York’s hidden gems and iconic institutions that make the city so special.
DKNY.3 offers a unique and immersive experience, bringing the dynamic energy of the city into the virtual world. The four-story building consists of a DKNY boutique, a New York-style pizzeria, an art gallery, and a rooftop lounge offering stunning views of the city skyline. The official MVFW closing night party will take place at DKNY.3, hosted by the MVFW supermodel. tangpokohe DCL Dollsand live DJ sarah main.
MAD Globala production agency bridging blockchain and immersive technologies, partners with Louis Fern — a hybrid creative who specializes in creating meaningful experiences through design — and GoalWorld, a curated marketplace for 3D scenes and assets to curate a showcase of fashion, design, and digital art. Attendees can look forward to 3D sculptures, 3D digital garments, artwork and NFTs, videos, and virtual try-on experiences. The showcase includes the following artists, designers and brands: The showcase includes the following artists, designers and brands: craftsman, couture code, cutecircuit, stephy fung, fashion eyes, CROWN, Ilona’s song, IoDF, People, New Lorraine, rick dick, 3D styleand sam j.
DRESSX and DUNDAS
DRESSX kicks off Metaverse Fashion Week with a digital fashion show featuring ten looks from the DUNDAS D24 Paris Fashion Week Collection in collaboration with 3D studio EMU. The “see now, wear now” concept will continue as DUNDAS and DRESSX make fashion looks instantly wearable in straight-off-the-runway photos and avatars, with digital twins available during the show for the audience. The backdrop for the digital artworks will be the Paris Opera, where the DUNDAS D24 Paris fashion show took place.
The runway looks are available for purchase as wearable NFTs at dress.nftx and in the DCL market. DUNDAS NFT advance buyers will be able to show off their looks on Decentraland avatars during the digital fashion show.
Tommy Hilfiger returns to MVFW with a four-day program that integrates fashion, art and innovation. In alliance with DRESSX and artist vinnie hagerTommy Hilfiger aims to promote self-expression in the digital world, offering immersive experiences, digital wearables and limited-edition NFTs for purchase.
DRESSX will showcase the Tommy Hilfiger wearables collection in the metaverse, allowing visitors to create their custom Tommy-inspired look with AI. Winning designs will be produced and available as digital handheld devices.
Trainer and Zero10
Coach has expanded its partnership with zero10, an augmented reality fashion platform, by introducing a new retail space. The space will allow customers to experiment with the brand’s renowned Tabby bag, as well as shop for styles that have been created in conjunction with Zero10. This move is part of Coach’s latest campaign, in my tabby, that features lil nas x, camila mendesand mitsuki kimura (also known as Rincon).
Auroboros Mesmer Collection
auroborosthe luxury sci-tech fashion house, will show a glimpse of its upcoming collection, hypnotist, in an immersive virtual showroom based in the luxury district of Decentraland. The unveiling will be held in conjunction with a digital quest giveaway for his legendary Serpent Armor wearable, available from the Decentraland marketplace.
We can’t wait to see these activations as well as all the looks they are serving up this week.
