The emergence of the metaverse has led to virtual meetings that see participants being represented by an avatar.
However, fashion designers like Gala Marija Vrbanic, cofounder of virtual fashion tech studio Tribute Brand, are working to give workers more options for their avatars.
The company provides virtual fashion that helps remote workers truly represent their mood and style. Think virtual pants and tops for avatars that allow workers to express themselves more authentically, rather than using default options.
“We are currently at the beginning of this new era—an era where digital garments could become an added layer to our reality, where you will be able to instantly choose to whom you want to present yourself wearing multiple different outfits at the same time using the most advanced technology, like AR or VR,” said Vrbanic at the TEDWomen conference last year. “Not only does it allow for self-expression in totally different contexts, but digital fashion can be zero-waste and inclusive, available to users, regardless of their gender, size or race.”
Tribute Brand’s team of designers, computer programmers, and user experience specialists have come together to create a digital fashion house that is pioneering this new trend.
Vrbanic says that creating this digital fashion follows the same process as real-life garments. However, the biggest difference is that these pieces can easily adapt to each person’s avatar with ease, making this option much more inclusive than physical pieces.
Not only does this provide a unique opportunity for workers in the metaverse to express themselves, but it also opens a chance for designers to upskill.
“It’s a struggle to find people who are into both fashion and tech now, but this is changing,” said Vrbanic. “I’ve seen that a lot of fashion schools have started including digital technology in their curricula.”
Digital fashion is just one aspect of the metaverse that has grown in popularity over the past year. Companies across various industries have launched their own NFTs in order to get a piece of the pie.
Often referred to as the next iteration of the internet, the metaverse promises to give users from all over the world a more immersive way to connect, work, and convey who they are.
