Metaverse Fashion Week’s second iteration, hosted by Decentraland foundation, was bigger and better than before, thanks to its partnership with additional metaverses like Spatial and Over the Reality. Participation brands made use of emerging technologies and solidified their Web3 strategies. Brands like Dior and Fendi leveraged the digitization of physical assets using 3D engine Threediem, which enabled them to generate commercial opportunities. Coach was one of the brands that used Threediem to create its gamified Metaverse Fashion Week experience in Decentraland, where the hero product, the Tabby bag, was the focus.
The week-long event featured other exciting takeouts for the retail industry. For instance, adidas Originals and Tommy Hilfiger showcased the emerging cross-platform capabilities of digital wearables, with adidas focusing on community building and Tommy Hilfiger on driving commerce. The Hilfiger space in Decentraland was a sales hub that allowed users to buy physical items or directed them to Ready Player Me (RPM), where they could purchase digital wearables created with partner DRESSX that could then be worn by avatars across Decentraland, Roblox and RPM compatible worlds such as Spatial.
Augmented Reality (AR) metaverse platform, Over The Reality, participated in Metaverse Fashion Week with a site-specific AR runway show at Milan’s Piazza del Duomo. People in the vicinity could access the show via their smartphones to see looks and accessories from Pinko, the Balmain x Spacerunners collaboration and Gucci Vault collaborator Pet Liger. In addition, AR platform ZERO10 created a special enhancement for the Coach experience in Decentraland, which was available via the app.
Finally, Decentraland partnered with French e-commerce platform Monnier Paris and digital fashion brand Republiq in a design competition for Web3 fashion creators. Finalists had their submissions turned into a real-life bag via 3D printing technology and sold on Monnier Paris with an accompanying NFT.
It’s evident that the metaverse is not a siloed space but is intimately connected to the real world, with all its components. The week-long event highlighted the intersections between fashion and entertainment, music, and real-world events, like the MET Gala. As brands continue to invest in Web3, the metaverse is proving to be a useful tool in reaching a global audience and engaging with them. Brands like Philipp Plein are leveraging the metaverse in hosting exclusive events that bridge the gap between the real world and the digital world. It’s a trend that’s likely to shape future fashion industry endeavors.
