Way before the pandemic started, many of us have noticed the rapid evolution of technology. Covid just made all the technological advancements happen faster than anticipated. If you think about it, there are very few things nowadays that people do not need to use technology for. But what about the fashion industry?

Ph. Tumisu, Pixabay

Fashion did not stay behind as new technologies progressed fast forward. The biggest trend at the moment is, indeed, the metaverse and virtual fashion.

Many brands nowadays have easily featured their products and vision in the virtual space with the same value and status they have in real life.

What Is Metaverse?

The term 'metaverse' has become more widely used with the popularity of crypto and bitcoins, a whole new world is being built in front of our eyes. Ever since video games were created, a new virtual reality was introduced and this is now opening many opportunities for artists who are thriving on this new phenomenon. As for the web developers, they are trying their best to save it. But what is it all about? The New York Times defines metaverse as “a variety of virtual experiences, environments and assets that gained momentum during the online-everything shift of the pandemic”.

We can, without a doubt, say that this is a way for the community to realise that sooner or later everything could be moved into a new virtual world.

Is There Such A Thing As A Fashion Metaverse?

If everything is to be moved online nothing will be left behind and fashion is one of the things that are already there, even if it does not feel like it. As people spend more time online, CB Insights Industry Analyst Consensus estimates that virtual goods will represent a $190B market by 2025.₁ The way fashion is immersed in the metaverse can be split into two categories: a combination of physical and digital, in which clothing can be worn through augmented or virtual realities, and a fully digital market in which items can be purchased directly from an avatar. Considering there is a demand for such products, more and more high-end brands are trying to make their way into the metaverse. However, with some people being sceptical about moving into virtual, brands are also showing their concerns. To test the virtual environment and digital fashion with all its perks and flaws, the majority of brands have made various collaborations with game, social, and metaverse platforms.

Ph. Mo, Pexels

The Place Of High-end Brands In The Metaverse

The virtual world is supposed to represent a flawless world, in which everyone wants to achieve perfection. Luxury is a key component in the metaverse and that is where the high-end brands can once again dominate the fashion world. Just because some of us are just now learning about the metaverse, this does not mean that it just appeared. Most brands have been working on various projects and collaborations to establish a status in the online society for years now. Louis Vuitton, for instance, released a League of Legends collection in 2019. The brand entered into a multi-year partnership with Riot Games in September that includes both physical and digital designs for the 2019 League of Legends World Championship. That is just one example of a way to be present in the metaverse. Moschino released skins for The Sims, Gucci released a digital collection for a styling app; Nike, Chanel and Balenciaga have collaborated with ‘Pokemon Go’ making virtual shoe collections.

 

 

 

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That is just a glimpse into the virtual world. Many more things are being created on a daily basis and many more are disappearing from the real world. There is a place for everyone online, whether for better or worse. Along with trying to keep up with the trends in reality, now we would actually have to keep up with the digital ones as well. It is a challenge worth accepting.

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