The metaverse to launch its first fashion week

«We are interested in Nfts and metaverse, we are planning new activities in gaming as well. We dream of avatars and of making them real», Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana had stated at their last fashion show (see MFF on March 1). They confirmed to MFF they will be among the protagonists at the first Metaverse fashion week. The four-day event will be held from March 24 to March 27 on the virtual reality platform Decentraland, in collaboration with Threedium and Boson Protocol. It will include a series of events such as entirely virtual runway shows, lectures and afterparties, but with the possibility to transform the items into something real. In other words, a piece of history. This will indeed be the first kermis held entirely on a virtual reality platform and, for this very reason, it will not be a niche event, but a streaming event with international brands and digital native designers.

A big name from the US like Tommy Hilfiger will not fail to give his support. «When I founded my brand in 1985, I would have never imagined a time when fashion weeks would take place in a 3D, entirely virtual world», the designer explained to MFF. «As we further explore the metaverse and everything it has to offer, I am inspired by the power of digital technology and by the opportunities it offers to engage with communities in fascinating and relevant ways». Hilfiger will present his Spring 2022 collections, as well as a digital retail platform where consumers can purchase Nfts for their avatars or physical items during the course of the Metaverse fashion week. Etro is among the brands on the calendar whose final version has not yet been released, «I wanted to launch the new Liquid paisley capsule through a new inclusive way of parading in the metaverse, where anything is possible. This is a strong message for Etro, a genderless collection in a fashion show open to everyone. Etro has always represented travel and this will be a new borderless journey for us into the magic of the metaverse», Veronica Etro explained. Etro and the others will be accompanied by Casablanca and Hugo at the digital runways. While preparing to play a co-starring role, in addition to Privé Porter, there will be also emerging or digital-only brands such as Mortiverse, Deadfellaz, Fang gang, The sevens, 8sian, Gm fashion, Taste of the Future, Nestle's lion, Nessa dress and Stella Panayides.

These are all confirmed brands at the fashion week on Decentraland which, in addition to its virtual event, will inaugurate a luxury shopping area called Boson portal - fashion district, designed in the likeness of the iconic Avenue Montaigne in Paris, where brands will virtually sell both digital items and physical products through Nfts. Scheduled almost a month after the end of February fashion weeks, the events planned by Decentraland will be followed not only for the curiosity aroused by the presence of luxury (and non-luxury) brands, but also because, as explained by metaverse expert Cathy Hackl who will open the event there will be the possibility to combine virtual reality and physical objects, an operation made possible by Boson protocol. This company allows you, through the sale of Nft vouchers, to buy both digital garments (non-fungible-token) and their physical version by accessing Boson protocol stores in the virtual spaces of Metaverse fashion week. Another key player is Threedium's 3D engine, the system used to power the processes and activities of Metaverse fashion qeek. Unlocking user-generated content for the first time, this simple technical solution will provide more space for creators.

As for the other practical activities on Decentraland, however, it will be necessary to create a digital wallet and load it with money which, in the platform, will be expendable in the form of Mana, its digital currency. So, backpacks, shoes, T-shirts and shirts for the avatars of Decentraland will be purchased in the metaverse and can be paid with this cryptocurrency. Inside, one's outfit will serve to access the world of Decentraland and experience its society tout court.

But what drives a subdivision to organize such activities? «As physical restrictions interrupt our lives and our lifestyles shift to more virtual formats for work and leisure, it is easy to feel a sense of separation from our identities. However, with the help of modern technology, fashion can be as much a part of your online life as it is of the offline one». This is how the Decentraland team recounted the fashion week world's first step into the metaverse, reconnecting with the topic of what is virtual assisting and, when needed, replacing what is real. «We see the future of commerce being built on web3 infrastructure and revolving around digi-physical experiences and fusions, or the metaverse and the universe», Justin Banon, co-founder of Boson Protocol, stated. «Fashion online shopping has been 2D for too long," Michael Charalambous, ceoof Threedium, remarked, adding: «We have been building technology that advances digital experiences since 2006, and in so many years we have not seen innovation in product images. 3D reinvents the way we shop online». Given fashion's tendency to invest in digital, Charalambous is right. (All rights reserved)