Future Heritage: Metaverse Fashion Week unveils jam-packed 2023 line up

Now in its second edition, Metaverse Fashion Week (MVFW) is set to return once again boasting a flush line up of luxury brands and intriguing events all taking place within the digital world. Developed by open-world platform Dentraland and NFT marketplace UNXD, this year’s iteration of the event is already expanding the concept, with the fashion week now set to be spread over multiple metaverses through a collaboration with platforms Spatial and Over.

Scheduled to be held between March 28 to 31, 2023, MVFW will follow the theme ‘Future Heritage’ and will be centred around leading designers within the fashion industry, while also highlighting the connection between innovation and tradition. The event sees many luxury fashion houses return to the line up, while others, both established and emerging, will be taking part in the fashion week for the first time.

One of the notable occasions during the week is that of a space dedicated to the late fashion designer Vivienne Westwood. Through the tribute, entitled ‘Dear Vivienne’, the digital design community will pay homage to the British designer through an immersive installation that draws inspiration from her punk fashion designs.

Like last year, Decentraland’s UNXD Luxury Fashion District will host a range of events in a space featuring the virtual storefronts of various brands. Returnees Dolce & Gabbana, Tommy Hilfiger, Dundas and DKNY will be among those participating in this area, each showcasing their own dedicated venue housing their own occasions, such as exhibitions, digital product drops, art galleries and social spaces. Miami Fashion Week will also be taking part, once again with its L’Atelier space, launched last edition, where events, panels and runway shows will be held. Similarly, some areas will also be reinstated, including MetaTokyo, where Japanese-inspired digital designers will be displayed, and Cash Labs Gallery, where exhibitions from Nick Knight/ShowStudio and The Wall Group will be visible.

Luxury brands and emerging designers come together

Other activations taking place in various locations throughout the week include that of MVFW first-timer Adidas, which will host a space selling the brand’s first collection of three-striped digital apparel, Coach, which will be present at a newly created Fashion Plaza for emerging digital fashion opportunities, and Diesel, which is teaming up with HAPE to throw an interactive virtual party. Digital fashion mall Threedium will also be open like last year, this time hosting stores by Pinko, PwC and Clarks, which will launch a Clarks Arcade where visitors can play branded video games.

For this edition, MVFW is looking to uplift Decentraland’s own community through partnerships with renowned fashion houses. DressX, for one, will be curating a selection of 3D fashion brands in a flagship store, while The Fabricant is bringing two community creators to the event alongside the launch of its first custom Emote. Meanwhile, Phygicode is set to unveil a dress made in collaboration with the platform’s community creators, a similar initiative to that of House of Web3, which will also display collections designed by its own community.

A striking part of this year’s MVFW is that of its emphasis on educational initiatives and competitions each created to support designers’ and visitors’ entrance into the metaverse world. Augmented reality (AR) platform Over has partnered with Decentraland for a wearable design competition, for which the winners will be showcased in a hybrid runway at an event in Milan. Meanwhile, the annual Fashion Future Awards will focus on Chinese creators and Vogue Singapore will announce the winners of its From Blockchain to Love Chain digital fashion competition. The Institute of Digital Fashion will also be present, displaying an emblem highlighting the unsustainable consumption of physical fashion.

In a release, Giovanna Graziosi Casimiro, head of MVFW, said: “This year we are incredibly honoured to continue the legacy of MVFW. We are seeing the return of many luxury fashion houses, and also the emergence and elevation of digitally native fashion. We are excited to see some of the world’s greatest fashion minds engaging in the future of fashion, and what it can mean for their communities.”