Metaverse Fashion Week: everything you need to know about the first official event

Lebanese designer Elie Saab will be taking part alongside Selfridges and Tommy Hilfiger

Elie Saab is among the designers set to participate in the first Metaverse Fashion Week. Getty Images

The world’s top designers have just finished showcasing their latest creations at fashion weeks across the world’s style capitals, but Fashion Month is not over yet.

A new Fashion Week has just been announced, but this one won’t be taking place on a physical catwalk — it will all be happening in the metaverse.

Taking place from March 24 to 27, Metaverse Fashion Week will feature a number of designers — both physical and digital-native — which will host virtual showcases and after-parties in the metaverse, and sell digital clothing through NFTs.

Here is everything you need to know about the inaugural event.

What is Metaverse Fashion Week?

Much like the twice-yearly fashions weeks that take place in cities such as Paris, Milan and London, Metaverse Fashion Week will feature a host of designers showing off their latest collections. However, MVFW will be a chance for brands to show a new wave of fashion creations, created in and for the metaverse, pushing the boundaries of creativity to a new level, organisers say.

As well as fashion showcases, MVFW will host discussions, concerts, after-parties and film screenings. It will also be home to Boson Portal — Fashion District, a luxury shopping area designed to mimic Paris’s famous Avenue Montaigne, where brands will be selling digital and physical items through NFTs.

Which brands are taking part?

More than 50 designers will be taking part in the first Metaverse Fashion Week, including a number of veteran fashion houses, as well as plenty of digital-native brands.

Designers who will showcase their creations include Tommy Hilfiger, Elie Saab, Dolce & Gabbana, Etro, Dundas, Garrett Leight, Roberto Cavalli, Paco Rabanne, Hugo and Faith Connexion.

Speaking of his participation in the event, Hilfiger said: “When I founded my namesake brand in 1985, I never imagined I’d see a time when fashion weeks would be held in a 3D, fully virtual world.

“As we further explore the metaverse and all it has to offer, I’m inspired by the power of digital technology and the opportunities it presents to engage with communities in fascinating, relevant ways.”

Elsewhere, veteran London department store Selfridges will open proceedings with a digital activation to celebrate the launch of its flagship metaverse store.

There will also be an immersive showcase hosted by digital-native fashion house Auroboros, featuring a headline performance by Canadian musician Grimes.

How to be a part of MVFW

Metaverse Fashion Week will take place on Decentraland, a browser-based platform and 3D virtual world, with software that runs on the Ethereum blockchain.

Decentraland users can explore, interact and play games on the platform, as well as buy and sell digital real estate.

It’s free to sign up to Decentraland and attend any of the MVFW events, and no tickets are necessary. However, in order to make any purchases, attendees will need an Ethereum wallet.