The Metaverse and its creators are excited as Decentraland prepares to host its second virtual fashion week. 

In a world where innovative technologies are being adopted at breakneck speeds, it can be difficult for consumers to keep up. However, last year’s fashion show proves that the world is ready for this new shift in internet culture. 

2022’s fashion week took place amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and drew in a staggering 109,000 attendees, while this year’s event is seeing roughly half that number in 2023.

Nevertheless, the industry has deemed the 2023 Metaverse Fashion Week a success, thanks to new big-name brands participating, like Dolce & Gabbana, Coach, Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger, and more. 

However, one must wonder: who exactly are these brands targeting, and is it too soon to host a Web3 fashion show for the masses?

All about Metaverse Fashion Week 

The four-day fashion show brought together all the futuristic fashion creators in a runway special hosted in Decentraland, the Web3 platform all major brands are betting on. 

The new take on fashion presents garments in a digital form where all pieces on the runway are intangible Items only avatars, and virtual characters can wear. 

Some popular fashion pieces include funky sneakers, brand name-covered t-shirts, and neon logo accessories. 

Attendees had the option of viewing each show separately at different times instead of one long consecutive show. Ruways took over Decentraland’s Genesis City during the fashion from March 28th to the 30th. 

Runways were hosted across multiple locations and special Metaverses within the luxury district of Decentraland’s Genisis city, but the majority took place in the newly constructed Neo Plaza. 

What is Decentraland?

Decentraland is among the leading Web3 Metaverses and virtual homes for many innovative, industry-leading brands and corporations. 

Virtual private property and real estate are the essences of Decenterland’s business model, following real-life strategies and dividing private lands into villages, cities, residential properties, and shopping spaces. 

Using the Ethereum Ecosystem, lands on the Web3 platform are segmented into individual properties and stored on the blockchain as NFTs. 

Notable celebrities and companies with properties on Decentraland include JP Morgan, SnoopDogg, Atari, Gucci, Tommy Hilfiger, and more. 

Leading the industry with an average of roughly 8000 to 10,000 daily active users, with top competitors of the platform being Sandbox, Axie Infinity, and Upland. 

MVFW 2023 Highlights 

• This year’s main highlight of the Metaverse Fashion Show is the addition of new participants, such as Vogue Singapore, Gucci, and Coach. 

• Dolce & Gabbana won the best fashion design and collaborated with independent fashion designers to create virtual garments. 

• Commemorating the punk queen of fashion is the opening headline, “Dear Vivienne,” and a limited-time game within Decentraland featuring hidden thank-you letters for players to decode. 

• The Institute of Digital Fashion IODF took advantage of the opportunity to promote sustainability with the slogan, “The world is in crisis; do you need more clothes?”

• The first collection of virtual sports gear hit the runways by Adidas beating other major sports brands to new Web3 tech.

• Brands are exploring new Web3 ways of promotion as Coach took the experience route to success by featuring a building-size signature floating handbag. 

MVFW Hottest Topics 

Dear Vivvine 

Dear Vivvine is an immersive art collective display and game hosted in the heart of Decentraland as an opening to the whole metaverse Fashion Week show. The virtual experience pays tribute to the late queen of Punk, Vivienne Westwood, with an all-plaid rock n roll theme, a trendy punk design from the late 2000s. 

Clarks Arcade 

The English shoe brand Clarks threw a virtual rooftop fashion party in the Threedium Mall to display their virtual fashion. The brand’s first virtual fashion took advantage of all three days featuring numerous interactive elements and social games to keep visitors away from boredom throughout their stay.

MetaTokyo 

Drawing inspiration from the famous Harajuku fashion district and SPACE, Metatokyo introduces its own take on virtual fashion with a Japanese lineup. Joining MVFW’s lineup in collaboration with famed Japanese twin duo influencers amixxamiaya, utilizing their exposure for public traction, and maximizing the number of attendees at their first show.

Neo Plaza 

Neo Plaza is a fashion space constructed specificallyMetaversemetaverse Fashion Week, and in its opening year, it features most fashion brands participating in the MVFW. A fair/festival ground divided into 30 booths for major fashion vendors such as Adidas, MAD, Chashlabs, Kraken, Coach, and more.

Cash Labs Gallery

Cashlabs is the company responsible for the artistic aspect of the virtual fashion week. It runs the Chashlabs gallery, which collaborates with artist Nick Night and his gallery SHOWstudio in the fashion week to create a virtual art experience at the show’s center.

Vegas City Afterparties 

Vegas City is another geographical parcel segment of Genisis City, hosting all afterparties sponsored by Acura, the automotive brand. The afterparty in Vegas City is headlined by Grimes, featuring various creative artists, including Bob Sinclar and Nicki Nicole.

The Future of the Metaverse fashion week 

Analyzing the second Metaverse Fashion Week, we can confidently say that it was a successful creative run for brands joining for the first time and an elaborative second attempt for those returning. 

The first fashion week in 2022 drew more attendees due to its convenient launch time during the global COVID-19 pandemic, while this year’s show had more participants. 

Pioneer luxury brands like Philip Plein held back on their second shot at Metaverse Fashion Week but still pursuing digital fashion. Plein Plaza in Decentraland is a known destination for fashion lovers, regularly hosting parties and product releases.  

The concept of virtual fashion is still relatively new to many attendees. It will take brands’ attempts of trial and error through a few years of repetition to fully communicate their vision to consumers. 

The perfect brand-to-audience ratio is yet to exist, and the overall success will be easier to determine within the next 2 to 4 virtual fashion weeks. 

Conclusion

There are unlimited opportunities for brands, creators, and virtual realtors in the digital fashion space. However, just like any other emerging technology, only pioneers of the virtual fashion industry will have the biggest success stories.

Additionally, the opportunity to start a virtual fashion business in the Metaverse is far less costly for entrepreneurs and brands, especially in the current low-competition market. There has never been a better time than today if you’re considering pursuing the virtual fashion industry or taking your brand to new heights. 

Whether the fashion industry is ahead of its game or consumers need more time to adapt the innovative technologies, NFT clothing is here to stay!