Decentraland's Metaverse Fashion Week ‘23

Want to experience what it’s like to be at the cutting edge – and the absolute forefront – of fashion, VR/AR technology, and the metaverse?

The possibilities are endless as we continue the inexorable march towards the intersection of traditional fashion and the innovative potential of the virtual realms that lie within our computer screens – as they materialize and evolve with every waking hour.

Decentraland is hosting Metaverse Fashion Week 2023 (MVFW23) which will be running from March 28 to 31, 2023, off the heels of its successful 2022 edition, once again on its open and decentralized virtual reality platform.

A selection of renowned global brands will be featured, including returning designers Dolce & Gabbana, DKNY, and Tommy Hilfiger, as well as newcomers Coach and hotly-anticipated Adidas, who will be presenting their unique phygital collections as they host their fully-immersive experiences that traverse the line between the digital and the physical catwalk.

Web3, the open metaverse, and interoperability between VR/AR platforms: the new MVFW23 narrative

3D virtual world platform Decentraland is once again teaming up with metaverse consultant UNXD, specializing in delivering virtual experiences, as well as augmented reality company OVER to deliver its theme of “Future Heritage” – celebrating the entrance of trad fashion brands making their first foray into web3.

Dolce & Gabbana is featuring the winning submissions of its fashion design competition, while Tommy Hilfiger showcases its AI-powered line of digital wearables. Tommy Hilfiger, the Amsterdam-based clothing brand, features Christopher Kane, who is launching a collection of prints using artificial intelligence. By the way, did you know that the Netherlands have become home to many interesting crypto projects for the last few years?

Newcomer Adidas, meanwhile, is among the most highly-anticipated exhibits of the event, featuring its line of digital wearable NFTs.  

Adidas /// studio Vice President Erika Wykes-Sneyd revealed that she was looking forward to their collaboration with Decentraland to launch Adidas virtual wearables on the protocol for MANA holders to wear, trade, or use – in what is, by all metrics, the leading decentralized VR/AR platform thus far.

The German athletic sportswear powerhouse is debuting a community-driven phygital experience uniting non-fungible digital wearable collection with denizens of the Decentraland virtual reality platform.

In a display of the ever-shifting world of web3, Dundas is uniting with DRESSX for their wearables and UME for their avatars.

It is a testament to the rapidly-evolving metamorphosis of the web3 realm, with web3 newcomers such as Seoul-based cosmetics conglomerate Amorepacific and American jeweler Ben Bridge will debut their respective digital collections at the event. 

Clarks will be launching their retro-themed Clarks Arcade exhibit featuring 80’s video gaming, fairground culture, and breakdancing contests.

COACH is banking on idealizing experiences of the future by teaming up with esteemed web3 digital creators and the ZERO010 virtual reality platform to offer a digital wearable add-on to the New York-based brand’s best-selling real Tabby bag – straddling the blurring lines between the virtual and the physical even further.

Meanwhile, the OVER x DECENTRALAND collaborative design competition highlights MVFW23's emphasis on web3 interoperability and introducing it to fashion brands for the very first time.

To round it out, similar to last month’s AW edition of LFW23, MVFW23 will feature a full-spectrum metaverse experience masterminded by the Spanish art collective Vuelta.

A litmus test for metaverse adoption

The inaugural Decentraland Metaverse Fashion Week (MVFW22) saw over 100,000 participants witnessing a collaboration between the movers and shakers of the nascent open metaverse and established cosmetics brands such as Estée Lauder and independent fashion labels working with the biggest names and talents in the NFT space.

The inaugural MVFW22 event saw exactly 108,000 individuals – which, while admitted is relatively small compared to the oversized expectations that some permabulls might have for this nascent technology – generated enough buzz for the biggest names in fashion to put together another one.

Might this serve as a litmus test for how well the metaverse branding will be received after the market downturn – and even Meta Platforms head honcho Mark Zuckerberg – has seemingly left it for dead in favor of the next shiny thing: AI?

That’s a whole different mountain of dust to ponder over.

But, as German fashion designer Philipp Plein puts it, no matter the results, disappointing tests are successes, because drill down on what the builders need to do to improve on the next experiment. “You really feel like a pioneer,” the German fashion designer mentioned. “Everything is new, and there are not many who have tried it. We are still learning by doing.”

Time will tell.