In the United Kingdom, the Institute of Digital Fashion is masterminding fashion’s transition to the metaverse. Founded by a group of digital natives, the organization launched its IRL x URL Academy to teach designers around the world how to translate their garments into virtual items. The group introduced its own virtual garment on the red carpet of Britain’s The Fashion Awards last month when guests like Kristen McMenamy, Gabrielle Union, Evan Mock, and Kehlani tried the winged chestplate out. “We wanted to deliver a metaverse experience that also democratized the red carpet, democratizing the notion of traditional red carpet moments, and merging the worlds of IRL x URL,” explained Elliott Young. “It was designed to be worn and paired on top of other garments.” The virtual piece was later sold as an NFT.
The IoDF team sees meta-fashion not only as a place for designers to play with creativity, but as a vehicle for making a more inclusive and representative fashion industry. “The fashion industry is a big beast, with hierarchy structures that largely dominate entry level access. The digital arena is a wonderful community of free thinkers, and we wanted to shape that energy into a concise space, where those regardless of age, race, ability and gender could step into a career pathway of digital making,” added Young.
“Not everyone has the chance to go to luxury shops or see runways, digital fashion kind of changes these codes,” says Tet. “Anyone can become their own designer because they now have an easier access to curated and valuable content designed for the web. I love the fact that everybody gets to experience the same thing now.”
So will the fall 2022 runways be taken over by avatars and inclusivity? JW Anderson is already working on another project with Xydrobe, and revealed that his fall 2022 collection will be presented, in part, on digital cartoon characters. But maybe thinking about a runway show as phygital is already an antiquated idea. Anderson’s cardigan first appeared two-and-a-half years ago in June 2019—and it’s still one of fashion’s most popular items. If anything, digital fashion helps increase a garment’s lifespan, showcasing its value and intrinsic creativity. Tet offers another idea for what’s next—he says he’s taking the fall 2022 season off from working with Collina Strada and KNWLS: “I am waiting for those houses to finally sell designs versus actual garments. I could see designers selling 3-D models that you could then get made or printed with whatever materials you want.” As brands make their Plan As, Bs, and Cs for the fall 2022 season, here’s hoping the new wave of phygital fashion shows isn’t just about newness, but about translating lasting fashion ideas into the metaverse.
