Metaverse Fashion Week (MVFW) concluded on March 28 after four days of virtual reality events hosted on browser-based platform Decentraland. In addition to big brands and big-name creatives, there were also up-and-coming fashion houses and retailers not previously seen in the Metaverse. To support some of the digital debuts, Web3 venture studio Kollectiff used its already established skills and presence to develop a suitable venue for catwalk shows and after-parties for brands and artists looking to collide fashion with the digital world.
Focused on the intersection of media and blockchain technology, the innovation lab develops tools and solutions to help brands leverage Web3 and the Metaverse. The company hopes to give everyone who is interested the opportunity to be in the virtual world “in a way [Inhalte] to create that complements their brand identity and core offering.”
In an interview with FashionUnited, the company’s CEO, Tino Vivo, said: “What makes Kollectiff unique is that we fund projects that we believe in for our customers who are not big brands.”
As part of the MVFW campaign, Kollectiff has developed and launched the MetaLoop, a venue on its own property in Decentraland. Throughout the long weekend, the MetaLoop became the setting for a series of runway show collaborations, the only venue aside from the main event, with a selection of labels and retailers, some taking their first steps into this new digital terrain.
Fast-fashion e-tailer Cider and semi-couture brand Christine Massarany, as well as digital fashion platform DressX and non-fungible token (NFT) artists The Rebels and 8sian were among those showcasing their creations throughout the weekend presented.
When asked why MVFW is attractive to these brands, Vivo said: “The idea of international IRL [In-Real-Life]-Events like this having a presence or correlation in the metaverse is exciting and forward-looking. Assuming we believe that the metaverse will be the default shared virtual experience or environment in which we come together to play, learn, build or grow – in which case it makes sense that brands would look for ways to establish an early presence in these types of actions”.
Vivo continued, “We’re still in the early stages of the metaverse, and events like this aim to increase adoption from both brands (content creators) and international audiences.”
“We’re still in the early stages of the metaverse…”
And it seems like the event was worth it. “We’ve had amazing feedback from brands and the public,” Vivo said, adding that “thousands of people” came to the MetaLoop venue.
Alongside the catwalk shows, Kollectiff also hosted afterparties with its partners, artists and sponsors, one of which was hosted by Argentinian rapper Nicki Nicole. Commenting on the after-party activities, Vivo said: “We thought this could add another layer to the experience we were developing and we wanted to emulate the reality that surrounds international events like this: namely satellite events.”
Kollectiff also made its debut in fashion during the event by unveiling its first collection of meta helmets alongside a limited edition clothing line. The NFTs and digital wearables, produced in collaboration with DressX, are part of a project the company has developed to bring the virtual and real worlds together while avoiding the negative footprint often left by fashion’s production process in the world real world arises.
For this reason, Vivo believes that the Metaverse is fundamental to fashion’s long-term existence. “The Metaverse is important for the future of the fashion industry because it generates so much waste,” he says. “With FashionTech and artificial intelligence, people will be able to create and try on garments with zero waste unless an NFT is mined on the blockchain.”
This clear advantage in terms of sustainability is one of the main reasons for the fashion industry’s recent growth on online platforms, as more and more designers use the metaverse as a sustainable creative opportunity.
“We have plans to expand the concept of the MetaLoop, but more importantly, it shows what digital fashion could mean in the years to come,” Vivo said, explaining that fashion is one of the company’s focus industries. He added: “We have been quietly developing the infrastructure for Kollectiff’s fashion side.”
While growth in fashion is still being kept secret, the Web3 lab will continue its contribution to the Metaverse with the opening of an NFT crypto art gallery and members club in California. It will feature exhibitions of work by talent from the Creative Artists Agency, expanding Kollectiff’s reach in the digital world.
This article was previously published on FashionUnited.uk. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ