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Roberta HERRERA
Published
Mar 24, 2022
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Metaverse Fashion Week: a guide for first-time attendees

Translated by
Roberta HERRERA
Published
Mar 24, 2022

From March 24 to 27, the virtual universe Decentraland will host the first Metaverse Fashion Week (MVFW), the biggest virtual fashion event to date. Around 70 brands, artists and designers have been confirmed, including major names such as Dolce&Gabbana, Etro, Tommy Hilfiger, Cavalli and IKKS. FashionNetwork provides you a simple step-by-step guide and an overview of the virtual venues hosting the events.


New visitors are welcomed at Genesis Plaza, the central square of Decentraland - FNW/Decentraland



There is no need to download a program or acquire a virtual reality headset to visit Decentraland; A web browser is more than enough. There is no need to create an account either. The “play as guest” button allows you to log in anonymously as a guest. All that is left to do is to name and customize an avatar (head, hair, clothes, accessories, etc.) through which users will move around the metaverse with. 

After waiting some time for the page to load (which can take a while depending on the volume of visitors), the avatar lands on Genesis Plaza, the geographical center of this virtual universe. A short tutorial instructs users on how to exercise basic functions, such as moving around, directing your gaze, or accessing a map. 

Since the “land” is vast, and while it is possible to teleport anywhere, it can be difficult to locate desired destinations. And therein lies the problem: many brands massively communicated their participation at MVFW but almost all of them had difficulty specifying the virtual location of their shows. This proves how the event still has room to improve and continues to be far more advanced than what people, including marketing departments, can comprehend.
 
Fortunately, there are several tools available to help you find your way around. In Decentraland, you can use the Explore menu ('X' key) to call up a list of all current events and teleport to them with one click. You can also select the coordinates you want to go to (latitude/longitude) on a map ('M' key).


In the "Plein Plaza" (coordinates -80/-57) Philipp Plein will present his first digital designs for the Metaverse - FNW/Decentraland



Metaverse Fashion Week has its own website, which lists the various events and their venues. Keep in mind that schedules posted are in the UK time zone (UTC), so adjust accordingly.

The most important addresses of Metaverse Fashion Week



Kicking off MVFW is Selfridges, which opens its flagship store in Decentraland on March 23 at 10 pm (CET). The space promises to offer an immersive experience, fusing the worlds of Paco Rabanne with the colorful geometric shapes of Victor Vasarely.


The Selfridges flagship store in Decentraland opened on the evening of March 23, where avatar outfits by Paco Rabanne will be available for purchase from mid-April - FNW/Decentraland


 
Most of the events will take place in the UNXD Luxury District (coordinates +94/-13), a new shopping district "inspired by Avenue Montaigne" which will be inaugurated on Thursday, March 24 at 3 pm with an opening party organized together with Dolce&Gabbana. The catwalk there will feautre Etro and Placebo on Friday, Vogu&Hype and French Couture on Saturday and The Fabricant and Dundas on Sunday, among others. It will also host the events of Elie Saab, Franck Muller, Monnier frères, Dundas or Gary McQueen. As for the presentation format, avatars will parade the looks on a virtual runway, some of which can be purchased and worn by spectators. A couple of the virtual pieces will also have a real-world counterpart.
 
In the near vicinity, the Metaloop catwalk designed by Kollectiff (also +94/-13) will present shows by Perry Ellis, Christine Massaran, Acura, MTA x DressX, Anrealage, 8sian, Cider, The Rebels and NounsDao starting Thursday. That same day at 4 pm, French IKKS will also make an appearance. Dragon City (95/-117) will host Asian designers and brands, the MVFW Fashion Design Exhibition, and a "Catwalk Night" on Saturday at 2 pm.
 

Etro launches pop-up store with virtual clothing line during MVFW - Etro



With Boson Protocol, the Metaverse also has its own marketplace that can be found in the Boson Portal (-86/108). Several panels and conferences will take place there on Thursday and Friday covering topics such as decentralized commerce, digital fashion, NFTs, etc., including an interview with Tommy Hilfiger on Friday at 2 pm. The MetaParty space (95/-117) will also host interviews with designers, as well as various animations, musical performances and other activities.
 
There will be other locations such as Rarible Street (-49/69) with a series of pop-up stores where NFT enthusiasts can purchase virtual products from Perry Ellis, Puma x Artisant, Miss J by Crypto Couture, Fresh Couture or The Fabricant via their 'Wallet'. The Threedium Mall area (2/19) will also feature brands such as DKNY and Charles&Keith. Meanwhile, MetaTokyo Community (-117/-35) launches a “Space” museum as well as virtual fashion items. Cash Labs (-80/-57) opens a gallery with around 20 artists, including the fruits of a collaboration between Karl Lagerfeld x The Dematerialized.


The "Cobra Sneakers" by Giuseppe Zanotti presented during MVFW - Giuseppe Zanotti



In addition to the opening of the Selfridges flagship store, the organizers pointed out a few other highlights. For instance, this Fashion Week comes as an opportunity for Forever 21 to launch virtual fashion as NFTs. The same goes for Bullova watches, which will be offered on the D-Cava meta-marketplace. Estée Lauder will present a look designed by Alex Boss to event attendees. Philipp Plein will inaugurate its "Plein Plaza" (-80/-57), which will provide the setting for an NFT museum and a fashion show presenting virtual creations.

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