After making headlines in 2022, Decentraland’s Metaverse Fashion Week is slated for a second run from March 28-31, and will soon light up virtual stores and runways once again.
Few details have been revealed since the virtual world platform and its partner NFT marketplace UNXD announced the fashion event in December. WWD reached out to Decentraland to find out what’s on tap and some of the brands and organizations he’s eyeing for MVFW 2023.
The curator’s theme may be “Future Legacy,” but there’s another theme that plays a big role in various metaverse thorny issues. Metaverses generally do not work together. Previous press statements have referred to interoperability, as will another announcement coming out at some point on Monday.
According to a preliminary press statement confirmed by WWD, the show “shows the potential for interoperability across the open metaverse, pushing the boundaries of what digital fashion means.”
In an interview with WWD, Giovanna Casimiro, metaverse producer at Fashion Week’s Decentraland, elaborated.
“One of the core values of the first edition was to bring designers together and try to expand the aesthetics and possibilities of the brand. So after the first edition, we decided to traverse the metaverse,” she said. explained. “When we talk about expanding interoperability, we’re starting to work with other universes and metaverses to create an agenda. [that’s] cross platform. ”
As an example, she pointed to the group’s official partnership with virtual world platform Spatial and Over. The latter, a metaverse focused on augmented reality, is a cross-platform wearable design competition in which she is collaborating with Decentraland, and winners will be featured in hybrid AR/IRL. [”in real life”] Catwalk at the 4-day event in Milan. Other metaverses are interested in coordinating agendas with MVFW and working with satellite events, he added.
Interoperability has also been extended to NFTs, which is a big change for wearables compared to last year’s event. At the time, the brand could not link its external NFTs to his virtual clothes within Decentraland. Its developers have been working on the feature since, and in September his formerly revived MVFW brand, Dolce & Gabbana, linked Disco Drip NFTs to Decentraland wearables for owners to virtually wear to a night out. I especially emphasized that by making it possible. city.
This integration also works for NFTs associated with physical products. This could simplify how brands offer avatar-enabled digital twins of real-world fashion. Some of these efforts may be directed at the Boson Protocol, a marketplace for so-called “phygital” commodities.
“There is one particular case of Rubin Singer,” said Casamiro, referring to the couture designer. “He’s been working with Asian designers on a digital piece this year, where he created his digital twin of the physical garment, [this event] Especially, I think different brands are trying to bring that angle this year. ”
Another kind of connection between the real and virtual worlds is underway, and it’s going to come to fruition in a pretty cordial way. The Vuelta collective of artists are planning to honor the late Vivienne Westwood with a unique tribute to the ‘punk queen of fashion’. It is an installation that is both a memorial and a game experience. According to Vueltta co-founder Bay Backner, the goal is to let people know more about the life and work of designers.
One of Vueltta’s illustrations used in a tribute installation to Vivienne Westwood.
Provided image
“This installation is based on the concept of ‘Dear Vivian’. It is a letter from us as artists to her, thanking her for her iconic style and work.” Buckner told WWD. There are many different aspects, but they all work together.
As she explained, the installation spans three floors of its own building and is designed to take visitors on a tour of Westwood’s life. The game also works as a code-breaking puzzle based on the designer. “Code Challenge takes people through Vivian’s Westwood life and achievements. [encouraging them] Explore space. The installations all reference some of her career and her activities. ”
Another corner of Decentraland kicks off another creative engine with the opening of a new fashion plaza dedicated to up-and-coming designers. The goal of highlighting and encouraging collaboration between established brands and emerging talent ties directly into MVFW’s ‘Future Legacy’ theme.
For Casamiro, it’s a way of “leading to a more critical debate about the future of fashion” and connecting the dots between innovation, heritage and tradition. There are new names such as Alo, and on the other end is the renowned heritage brand Coach, marking the luxury handbag company’s first ever direct exhibition at MVFW. Her vice president of global brand marketing and digital experience at Coach, Renee Klein, said the retailer joined Monnier Paris last year. However, she found that her participation was limited.
Coach will now step out on its own. The brand plans to highlight its signature product, the Tubby Bag, which she hopes will inspire her Web 3.0 artist at The Plaza to create.
Coach’s first outing at MVFW next month is all about the signature tabby bag.
Photo provided
The experimental nature of this effort speaks to Coach’s broader view of the metaverse as a testing and learning environment. “We have been trying to better understand and explore how people are engaging with brands across these different platforms,” said Klein. “There are these new spaces that are occupying their share of time, their share of interest. It’s about understanding.”
The company’s plans include venues and pop-ups, but they’re likely not stores to sell products, Klein said. It’s not clear if freebies will be part of the mix. The brand knows NFTs so well that it might offer POAPs, also known as Proof of Participation Tokens, or wearables as rewards for just visiting. .
For many fashion brands such as Coach, today’s metaverse is about experiences rather than transactions, and these are expanding in interesting ways. Decentraland’s Casamiro has found brands actively exploring ways to bridge virtual and real world events. Some brands are considering projecting his Decentraland video feed inside their brick-and-mortar stores. Designer Vivienne Tam recently did the same thing in New York for her fashion week, but in both directions: Spring Studios audiences can see her virtual show, and Metaverse guests can see her I watched her feed live of real-world events in .
MVFW producers are fans of this type of thinking. “The value of the metaverse exists when it comes out of its own space, its own existence. If everyone goes virtual, stays there, and never comes back, the experience isn’t complete. I We strongly believe that we need to create these immersive hybrid experiences,” she said.
Of course, the next virtual fashion week won’t benefit from the NFT and Metaverse hype that the first was when trends were booming. Enthusiasm has waned since then, and Casamiro, who admitted that there were fewer brands this year than last year, did not escape it.
That may be true, but from Dress X, Perry Ellis, Tommy Hilfiger to Dolce & Gabbana, many are returning to the posh districts, fashion plazas and other zones.
Activewear giant launches first-ever collection of digital apparel, ‘Adidas Virtual Gear’, as an exclusive community-oriented experience for ITM holders, aka ‘Into the Metaverse’ NFT holders, and Decentraland users I am planning to exhibit at
Next month, MVFW will also be hosting its first globally recognized fashion week, Miami Fashion Week, which will host events and runway shows in lateries around the world.
The newcomers join returning brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, a company with a proven track record of embracing technology and new digital platforms. In other words, Tommy hasn’t messed with that metaverse strategy. Its approach to MVFW includes exclusive NFTs and POAPs, collaborations with Web 3.0 artists for bespoke artwork and wearables, AI-powered fashion design competitions, gamified features, and other elements. Portals within the structure, virtual fittings, selfie booths for social sharing, and more.
Avery Baker, President and Chief Brand Officer, Tommy Hilfiger Global, said: “Our four-day rollout of him pushes the boundaries even further with a multi-story monolithic location that lights up platforms. Everyday, interactive brand experiences and interactions that connect communities across multiple platforms. It gives viewers something new to do.”
