Styled by
Grace King
Olivia Bergerson
Serafina Ganther
&
Photographed by
Eva Metz
Alyssa Schmidt
Lucas Greenwaldt
&
Zoe Walker
The concept of fusing fashion and technology isn’t exactly new. Both crafts have a lot in common—both artistic in their own right, both respected modes of self expression. The fashion industry is becoming increasingly fast-paced and the tech sector has been evolving with it, churning out equally imaginative innovation that can both be coalesced to create looks. Designers like Julia Körn (Black Panther costume designer) and Iris Van Herpen have been drawing on emerging technological innovation more and more to create apparel previously unimaginable—whether that be through 3D printing, electromagnetic weaving, or some other fabrication process that sounds straight out of Star Wars. Technology isn’t limited to being used to create clothes, however—recently, in fact, it seems vice-versa. With the rise of video games and virtual realities, a whole new world has been made available to clothing designers looking to market their pieces. In 2021, Balenciaga created their own video game as a platform to reveal their fall collection. The hybrid virtual reality/fashion show, Afterworld: The Age Of Tomorrow, was described by Vogue as a “quantum leap for fashion.” 50 looks were shown, using the avatar as a model as it traversed the games’ 5 “zones” (levels). Technology was obviously a muse for the collection itself: several pieces sporting PlayStation 5 logos speak for themselves. More and more designers are tapping into the virtual video game market. Burberry and Louis Vuitton are just a few of the brands that have partnered with game platforms, such as League of Legends and Blankos Block Party, to clothe avatars with luxury virtual NFT outfits. In October 2021, Dolce & Gabbana set the record for most expensive fashion NFT to be sold at a whopping $6 million. The sale included a 9-piece hybrid virtual/physical set, featuring (but not limited to) an emerald green mens’ suit, a golden headpiece dubbed The Doge Crown, and The Impossible Tiara, which, according to D&G’s Twitter, is “made from gems that can’t be found on earth. “The Doge Crown was the most expensive of the set, racking up $1.25 million alone. Dolce & Gabbana’s next digital venture: partnering with digital marketplace UNXD to corroborate an ongoing crypto community in which members receive NFTs that grant access to new drops and launches. As I’m writing this, the emerging virtual world Decentraland is hosting first-ever Metaverse Fashion Week. If you’re wondering what the hell the metaverse is, I can’t blame you. (I was right there with you until about a week ago). The New York Times defines the metaverse as “you and your avatar interacting with others in a digital environment.” To cite a few examples, think Fortnite or Roblox. The ‘22 MVFW, hosted from March 24-28, requires no ticket—or, for that matter, for attendees to even leave the comfort of their own home to attend the event. Because of this, digital fashion shows prove themselves to be much more accessible to fashion enthusiasts than a traditional show. Which is why, naturally, I had to attend the event, the first of its kind—ever. The Fashion Week festivities are happening in the Fashion Street District of Decentraland, a 6,090 square foot parcel of land acquired by Tokens.com
in “one of the largest ever virtual land acquisitions” (worth $2.4 million in crypto!). Over 60 fashion brands are represented in this event, each of which has a uniquely designed store, appearing very similar to what you might see in an upscale mall on both the outside and the explorable inside. You can look through digital garments hung on digital mannequins. Very lifelike. (I must admit, the architectural detail in these spaces is breathtaking, even when your chosen adventure is simply walking down the street). Some stores remain empty, awaiting their catwalk premier to unveil their designs for this season, after which “pieces” will be “available” in “stores.” On red carpets in spaces littered outside of shows, throngs of automated paparazzi click and flash at the avatars of real users entering auditoriums. Attendee outfits are often fashion extremes—bright colors and strange shapes abound. (Upon passing a glowing red fairy with bright green weed leaves for wings, my avatar and I did a fat double-take). The audience outfits were a spectacle in and of themselves, but the turnout was surprisingly slim: only about 250 attendees showed at the D&G show, the headliner for the event. Regardless, the catwalks proved memorable. Some look highlights from the 500+ that walked the red carpet include Etro’s paisley and tribal-print motifs, Philip Plein’s futuristic use of chrome, and Tommy Hilfiger’s recurring modest and organic neutral tones of brown, beige and green. The clothes were not the only things on show in this event, though. Designers leveraged the metaverse’s lack of reality to completely reimagine what a fashion show can be; the creativity that ensued is unforgettable. Literal feline models strutted Dolce and Gabbana’s catwalk, bobcat faces peering out of shapely puffers and bloated vests littered with the notorious DG logo. Sophia, a world-famous humanoid robot coded by Hanson Robotics in Hong Kong, was in attendance, prompting users to take selfies with her at the shops she was checking out. The week was closed with an immersive performance given by Grimes, clad in skin-tight, glowing purple garmentry designed by tech fashion house Auroboros. Though Metaverse Fashion Week pushed boundaries and proved just how willing fashion houses are to keep up with digital trends, this event was not exempt from a few hiccups along the way. Attendees that did not possess powerful enough PCs were left with fewer frames per second (FPS), resulting in a glitchy, laggy experience. The event may have been more physically accessible, but for users with less-than-professional equipment, the show was difficult to access digitally. While fashion and technology may be thought of as separate mediums for now, the strides being taken by fashion houses to integrate higher tech into their designs, both physical and pixelated, are proof that both industries will likely continue to converge. Who knows what the future may hold? Here at Golden Magazine, we’re keeping our eye on fashion in the digital.
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