As brands ready to unveil their long-awaited virtual activations, this year’s Metaverse Fashion Week (MVFW) schedule, which runs tomorrow to March 31, has been released to the public.
Over the weekend, MVFW organizer and host Decentraland revealed the full lineup for the second iteration of its online event. The agenda features fresh faces and returnees to the week like Coach, Dolce & Gabbana, and Tommy Hilfiger, alongside a global first from sports giant Adidas.
The theme, Future Heritage, is intended to encourage brands to focus on crafting experiences that are both community-driven and meaningful for their audiences. It’s also an opportunity to experiment with new tools to evolve their storytelling and consumer offerings.
Decentraland has also been working behind-the-scenes to rectify pain points that became evident during last year’s experience. Following its inaugural launch, audiences complained about glitching, unsophisticated graphics, and trouble with accessing the platform. As a result, the company invested in resolving these concerns for this year.
Potentially the biggest activation of the week — and the most eagerly anticipated — comes from Adidas. Its first stint at MVFW will involve a community-first experience that encompasses the holders of its Virtual Gear tokens and Decentraland’s audience.
Owners of the label’s Virtual Gear non-fungible tokens (NFT) will be able to claim an exclusive 3D twin to use on avatars inside Decentraland’s platform. To date, the Virtual Gear tokens are limited to profile picture (PFP)-only formats, but Decentraland’s latest Linked Wearable update makes cross-format endeavors like Adidas’ possible.
Tommy Hilfiger, one of the luxury labels fully embracing the metaverse’s potential, will also return to the virtual space. This time, with an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered experience harnessing the trend that has taken over mainstream media. The American fashion house will also launch a number of daily fashion drops, as well as competitions in which winners will be personally selected by the designer himself.
Dolce & Gabbana returns to MVFW following its bespoke wearables initiative last year. The Italian house will exhibit winning designs from its Future Reward competition, which intended to spotlight emerging talent, while DKNY is set to host its own branded art gallery, pizzeria, and rooftop lounge.
Deepening its partnership with augmented reality (AR) fashion platform Zero10, Coach will launch its very own retail space where visitors can try-on its signature Tabby bag, as well as collect designs that were created in collaboration with the startup. It’s all part of the label’s recent “In My Tabby” campaign, which stars Lil Nas X, Camila Mendes and Mitsuki Kimura, also known as Kōki.
Alo Yoga is banking on bringing a breath of fresh air to the showcase with its virtual meditation and breathwork classes, which will take place daily during the event. As the athleisure label continues on its roadmap to bringing wellness into Web3, tapping an attraction as widely recognized as MFVW is sure to amplify its efforts.
On the heels of securing $15 million in Series A funding, DressX will partner with Dundas on a series of digitized wearables. The Institute of Digital Fashion (IoDF), another platform born from Web3 and leading brands entering the digital landscape, will partner with designer Bradley Sharpe on two luxury wearables. Only 100 editions of each are being made available on Decentraland’s marketplace.
“These emerging designers are the luxury IRL x URL fashion houses of the future. IoDF is intent on building the skills and use cases to have a successful pivot to digital,” IoDF Co-Founder & CEO, Leanne Elliott-Young said in a statement released by the platform.
The platform’s wider MVFW experience also taps AR to create a “larger than life” billboard. Compatible with mobile cameras, the function works in any landscape, enabling users to be a part of IoDF’s discourse anywhere in the world.
Smaller names on the schedule include AR metaverse platform Over, which will host a wearable design competition presented in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Digital fashion company Altr is set to spotlight 10 underrepresented cultures through traditional costume and dress in its own exhibition space, each created by a fledgling creative selected by the platform. Since MVFW’s inception, Decentraland has made efforts to leverage the voices of established startups, enabling them to forge ahead with their metaverse ambitions.
After a rocky start to the year for Web3 resulted in slowed momentum, brands are adopting a more refined and considered approach to their digital roadmaps for MVFW. The pressure is on to deliver, but fashion remains keen to stretch the boundaries of the digital world and explore a better-connected future for the industry.