People around the world are spending more and more time online – the pandemic has only reinforced this trend. All global fashion brands are actively looking for ways to engage with audiences that treat virtual reality as just important as the physical world. One of the trending ways to do this is to integrate the industry into meta-universes.
Augmented reality technologies make it possible, for example, to present new collections in virtual showrooms or on virtual catwalks, and to “try on” things directly in an app on a smartphone. In addition, brands are increasingly releasing products that exist exclusively in virtual reality. Interest in “digital luxury” is growing along with the popularity of NFT technology, which confirms the uniqueness of a virtual item. Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana and other are already experimenting with NFT. We will tell you about the brightest fashion experiments in this sphere.
Gucci
Last March, the fashion house released virtual sneakers called Gucci Virtual 25. The pair can be purchased for $12.99 on the Gucci app. The virtual shoes can be worn in augmented reality (AR) or used in partner apps Roblox and VRChat. However, the sneakers are not released on blockchain. In June, the brand unveiled a video inspired by the Aria collection for the fall/winter 2020 season and sold it as an NFT at Christie’s for $25,000.
Saint Laurent
Saint Laurent is also actively exploring meta-universes. The brand announced its intention to register the right to produce smart clothes. Such clothes will have the option to connect to smartphones and other gadgets. The company also plans to sell things that could collect biometric data and track the physical condition of the wearer.
Balenciaga
Another brand exploring the meta-universe trend is Balenciaga. The company applied to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for registration of new products back in March 2021. The brand wants to produce VR helmets, software and smart glasses. The brand has already released its own game, where models wore items from the latest collection at the time and has worked with the Fortnite gaming universe.
The digital world is becoming more and more important, and brands are looking to enhance digital interactions, pushing the customers to buy cryptocurrency. And if digital doppelgangers in meta universes become as much the norm in several years as social media accounts are now, brands want to be ready for it. Also, digital fashion fits perfectly with the trend towards sustainability and conscious consumption. So the fashion industry can definitely find its place in meta-universes.
