Cyberspace
Last year, the lack of physical parades linked to the health crisis made the fashion industry want to present its collections differently. How? 'Or' What ? By investing in cyberspace in particular. The first thrills began in 2019 when Nicolas Ghesquière, at Louis Vuitton, dressed the heroes of the
League of Legends game
. Then, in the spring of 2020,
Nintendo's
new version of
Animal Crossing
set fire to the powder, and some brands such as Maison Margiela 6, Valentino or Marc Jacobs have specially created looks to dress the characters of the video game. Since then, Balenciaga has also adapted some of its pieces for
Fortnite,
and Gucci for
Roblox.
Virtual fashion start-ups, like The Manufacturer, a pioneer of the genre, have emerged such as DressX or Tribute Brand.
The principle of these futuristic companies?
Sell, thanks to augmented reality, clothing filters or original accessories, which can then be shared on social networks.
Endless possibilities
No waste, no transport, no restrictions linked to size or gender… For Daria Shapovalova and Natalia Modenova, the two founders of DressX, the possibilities of digital fashion are endless: “We can thus give a second life to avant-garde clothes which are not practical to wear or with certain couture pieces, too extravagant for everyday life ”, they explain. The new NFT
(non-fungible token) technology
encrypted on a blockchain would also make it possible to issue a certificate of authenticity to each of these digital creations. Digital fashion could therefore gain a lot of value in the future. The proof with the Dionysus bag from Gucci: initially at 5 euros on
Roblox,
today it has reached the price of 4,100 euros (without NFT).
The kind of example that could boost this new pixelated outfit market.
To listen to: the editorial podcast
False good solution
Another advantage: according to Natalia Modenova, digital fashion emits 92% less CO2 compared to traditional clothing production. "In some western countries, 9% of consumers buy new parts just to post them on social media." Faced with this drift, would not shareable digital fashion on all platforms and in the gaming worlds be the ideal eco-responsible solution? Small flat, put forward by Alexia Tronel, consultant in sustainable development: “The digital perpetuates a system of values which also pushes to the excesses: the narcissism of the selfie, the self-centered narration, the self-proclaimed expertise. The avatars must also change and evolve over the trends. ” And remember that a posted selfie is equivalent to three light bulbs on for an hour.From streetwear to screenwear, there are still a few steps to take.
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