How Metaverse Fashion Week Is Upping Its Game: Interoperable Wearables, Cross Metaverse Teleporting, Avatar Supermodel
Decentraland avatar supermodel ambassador Tangpoko.
Decentraland has announced the return of Metaverse Fashion Week March 28-31 2023.
Cross metaverse partnerships, interoperable wearables, teleporting between metaverses, an avatar ‘supermodel’ ambassador and even CFDA recognition (of sorts) make for an interesting follow up.
The virtual fashion event pioneered by Decentraland and immersive art and culture platform UNXD will follow the IRL runways of New York, London, Milan and Paris. For this second installment, Decentraland will partner with two additional metaverses — photorealistic Spatial and AR
One of the main things that limited the scope of Metaverse Fashion Week’s first outing in March was the fact that Decentraland wearables, could, for the most part, only be worn in Decentraland by Decentraland avatars.
However, technology has developed over the ensuing eight months. Creators of digital fashion NFTs that originate outside of Decentraland can now incorporate a Linked Wearable feature (a 3D representation of said NFT) meaning they can be mapped to (worn in) multiple metaverses (by Ready Player Me avatars in the case of Spatial) — as confirmed following a deep dive with the Decentraland team.
While the linked component has no additional resale or rarity value per se, (as yet), beyond that of the original NFT, it’s essentially a fix that makes a wearable interoperable and portable.
As well as the Decentraland Metaverse Fashion Week hub, satellite runways and happenings will take place in Spatial and OVER. Brands have the option to replicate their shows in each or host them concurrently in all three at the same time.
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Think the metaverse equivalent of Louis Vuitton and Prada recreating their European fashion shows in Shanghai for the Chinese market. The difference is that metaverse show-goers will actually be able to teleport their avatar between all three metaverses via portals in each — again confirmed by the Decentraland team.
Decentraland avatar supermodel Tangpoko in a latex bodysuit.
Metaverse Fashion Week 2.0 will introduce a supermodel avatar ambassador. Decentraland community member Tangpoko is dubbed a supermodel because, unlike regular Decentraland avatars she has her own custom designed body — whether it’s down to avatar genetics or the metaverse equivalent of cosmetic enhancement, her enviable curves would give Kim Kardashian a run for her money. Or her Mana (FNI Mana is the DCL currency).
Miami Fashion Week will also participate with an activation and runway shows on the rooftop of its recently inaugurated “L’Atelier” in Decentraland’s Luxury Fashion District. In that the resortwear focused Miami Fashion Week is an IRL event officially recognized by the American fashion’s governing body, the CFDA, (Missoni made a guest appearance in its June 2022 edition) this is another step towards Metaverse Fashion Week’s gaining a more mainstream appeal.
While the Metaverse Fashion Week lineup will not be announced until January 2023, returning partners already unveiled are Threedium 3D/AR Commerce Engine, Boson Protocol that allows digital tokens to be redeemed for physical items and DressX, world’s largest retailer of digital fashion. The event will feature a reality show component — a runway event involving Barth, a winner of HBO’s “The Hype” where streetwear designers compete for supremacy.
For the inaugural Metaverse Fashion Week in March this year, Decentraland hosted digital spaces and events from traditional luxury brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Selfridges, Paco Rabanne, Hogan and Philipp Plein alongside those by digital natives DressX, Auroboros and Republiqe.
Decentraland is building an advisory board of curators to select participating designers. Board members include the Institute of Digital Fashion and The Fabricant. Pre-registration for the public is now open. Brands, designers and retailers interested in participating in MVFW23, can apply here.
