Metaverse: Chic ‘Avatars’ Rocking Dior & Gucci – Is the Future of Fashion Here?

Photo for representation.

(Photo: Chetan Bhakuni/The Quint)

Fashion and lifestyle is among the most popular consumer segments in the world, and with the passage of time, technological advancements and inventions have introduced new dynamics. This combined with the industry’s increasing inclination towards the Metaverse has led to a whole new reality. According to a recently published CB Insights’ Industry Analyst Consensus, the global fashion space is expected to be worth more than $3 trillion by 2030. With Web3, the industry is now stepping into the future – the Metaverse.

Modern technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and Web3 are rapidly shaping the world we live in. A bigger portion of this comprises digital artistry and creative work in the form of costumes, avatars, clothing, and lifestyle, which have given rise to ‘Hybrid Fashion’.

The Countours of the Metaverse Fashion Industry

With the advent of modern technologies, visual-tech artistes have gone above and beyond their limits by using AR, VR, AI, and 3D realities within the Metaverse, composed of immersive environments.

From media and entertainment to lifestyle and fashion, there is a lot to explore for creative artistes in this new world. Be it gaming and sports or communication and collaboration, the Metaverse requires an indefinite supply of creative artwork in the form of NFTs, avatars, digital identities, clothes, accessories, etc.

The Metaverse is a unique space where everything is perfect. Here, people can meet and collaborate with each other, attend social events, organise trade, fashion shows, etc, which has made it possible for “digital fashion” or “hybrid fashion” to become part of virtual societies, virtual economies, virtual marketplaces, and much more.

Top Fashion Brands and Metaverse

From clothing and accessories that people use in the Metaverse to the glamorous fashion exhibitions launched by top brands and celebrities, everything comes under “Hybrid Fashion”. This has inspired people and brands from all over the globe. In this decentralised virtual world of the Metaverse, real people interact virtually with each other, buy expensive pieces of virtual land, and top brands are creating virtual outlets for their audiences.

Most of these entities include top-notch celebrities, fashion designers, tech futurists, businessmen, etc. A few top brands that have already made their foray into virtual fashion are Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Givenchy, Nike, RTKFT, Balenciaga and Dior.

In addition to that, renowned artistes like Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga, Jake Paul, Andrew Yang, and several others are actively embracing Metaverse.

Let us take a look at what these brands are doing in the Metaverse:

• Gucci: Engaged in community building through The Gucci Vault Discord.

• Louis Vuitton: Launched a unique mobile game app named Louis the Game.

• Balenciaga: Became the biggest fashion partner for Fortnite.

• Nike: Acquired top brand RTKFT in a quest to launch its virtual sneakers.

• Burberry: Launched a whole new NFT project named “Blankos Block Party”.

• Givenchy: Partnered with a famous digital artist to launch a series of 15 NFTs.

• JW Anderson: launched its NFT “Harry Styles” collection.

• Tommy Hilfiger: Partnered with Nintendo for a new metaverse game “Animal Crossing New Horizons”.

• D&G: Partnered with UNXD to begin its journey to the Metaverse.

• Dior: Partnered with “Ready Player Me”, which is a famous avatar platform.

Opportunities Abound for Artistes

The Metaverse has brought new possibilities to the field of creative arts. In this world, artistes can experiment with their imagination to create a unique, logical, and immersive art piece. Opportunities abound for not only 3D fashion designers but others, too. From developers and designers to fashion artistes and social media enthusiasts, there is something for everyone.

From NFTs and avatars to digital dresses, shoes, and fashion accessories, the Metaverse has many ‘virtual’ wonders that allow people to think beyond physical reality, and that is something that has fascinated everyone in the conventional fashion industry.

The Future of Fashion

By harnessing the real potential of AI, virtual reality, and modern 3D art, visual-tech artistes now have new horizons to explore. Concepts like light pollution, cosmic arts, space travel and 3D fashion, may soon become a reality in the global fashion space.

The Metaverse may also get populated with designer outlets, branded clothing, 3D fashion weeks, and much more in the near future. This is an era in which people won’t buy just physical clothes and accessories but digital identities and virtual customers as well.

Think about the time when people used to talk about virtual meetings and gaming. Today, it is not just a reality but is advancing to a whole new level of ingenuity. Perhaps a similar transformation awaits fashion in Metaverse.

(The author is a writer, web developer, and Web3 enthusiast. This is an opinion article and the views expressed are the author's own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)