The second edition of Metaverse Fashion Week (MVFW) hit the virtual catwalk this year from March 28 to 31 thanks to the collaboration between Spatial -a 3D social networking platform- and Over, an augmented reality (AR) platform. blockchain-based.
More than 60 brands participated in this year’s edition, including established names such as Dolce & Gabbana, Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY and Gucci. Like last year, the event combined digital catwalks, round tables with designers and opinion leaders from the sector, and afterparties.
However, one of the main attractions took place on the last day of the event, on March 31, when a hybrid AR de Over catwalk spanned the square of the Duomo di Milano, one of the most iconic places in Milan.
Diego Di Tommaso, co-founder and COO of Over, explained to Cointelegraph that the building blocks of the fashion industry include the projection of identities and the creation of narratives around brands.
“AR, in particular, is seen as the exciting new medium that enables brands to tell their stories and showcase their creations in a more compelling and intuitive way.”
According to Tommaso, the “impression, understanding and emotion” that consumers get from an article presented in AR versus 2D is unmatched. According to the co-founder, augmented reality catwalks, augmented window displays, and augmented reality virtual fittings are just the beginning of what’s to come in the fashion industry.
“Once consumer-ready smart glasses hit the market, there won’t be a brand that doesn’t have an AR strategy.”
This augmented reality runway featured large-scale virtual models walking across the square in cutting-edge digital designs from participating brands including Balmain x Space Runners and Pet Liger, part of Gucci’s “VAULT” project. Even some prominent personalities from the Bored Ape Yacht Club walked the runway.
Bored in Piazza del Duomo, the heart of Milan (Italy)… 1st time ever I signed my APE for the opening of @OVRtheReality Metaverse Fashion week!
how did i do @CryptoGarga @GordonGoner @BoredApeYC @apecoin ? pic.twitter.com/WU6ZPKNqO9— giacastyle.eth (@giacastyle) April 2, 2023
Over shared with Cointelegraph that guests called the event a “new level of experience,” taking digital fashion to a “whole new arena.”
Dave Carr, Over’s head of creative strategy and partnerships, told Cointelegraph that AR differs from the metaverse because viewers don’t have to sit in front of a computer or strap on an “uncomfortable VR headset” to experience it.
“With augmented reality, the metaverse comes to you. You can be present among real people while enhancing your environment with amazing immersive digital content.”
Carr hinted that future Over developments would even allow interaction with augmented reality models by talking and deciding on outfits, signaling “huge implications for brands and retailers.”
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