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You’ll Soon Be Able To Dress Your Instagram Avatar in Prada, Balenciaga and Thom Browne Thanks to This Major Metaverse Launch

Photo: Courtesy of Glamourmagazine.co.uk

With the rise of the metaverse showing no sign of slowing down, it’s no surprise that the fashion world — which is always looking for the next big thing to drive creativity — is one of the industries at the forefront of innovation. After all, if we’re all going to be exploring a virtual new world then we’re going to need some pretty major new looks, right?

It doesn’t get much more major than fashion powerhouses Prada, Balenciaga and Thom Browne, who have all just been revealed as the three brands set to launch purchasable clothing for our Meta Avatars to be used across Instagram, Facebook and Messenger.

That’s right, your real self may still be yet to move such items from your wishlist to your basket, but that cute little virtual you is about to be decked out in designer looks from head-to-toe.

Introducing the concept to the masses, Eva Chen, Director of Fashion Partnerships at Instagram, joined Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg on an Instagram Live over the weekend to unveil a series of potential high-fashion looks for the tech mogul’s own avatar and find out his verdict.

 

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A post shared by Eva Chen (@evachen212)

“There is a certain irony and humor which I appreciate in you asking me for my views on fashion,” said the founder. “But I am grateful and proud that these iconic brands are joining us to kick off fashion in the metaverse.”

 

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A post shared by Eva Chen (@evachen212)


Of course, those with their finger on the pulse may have seen this coming. Mere moments after ‘Facebook’ rebranded and changed its name to ‘Meta’ last October, the official brand account Tweeted Balenciaga, asking: “Hey @Balenciaga, what’s the dress code in the metaverse?”.

“When Meta tweeted, we were instantly into it. Web3 and Meta are bringing unprecedented opportunities for Balenciaga, our audience and our products, opening up new territories for luxury” said Cédric Charbit, CEO at Balenciaga, of the news.

“We want to create a marketplace so creators, over time, can design clothing and sell it,” said Zuckerberg. “A lot of the dream is to make it accessible to anyone. If you want to design fashion today, you need the physical materials and equipment, but in the future, anyone with a computer and an imagination will be able to come up with ideas for this.”

“It does take a certain confidence to wear shoulders-to-toes Prada,” Zuckerberg admitted, “I think in the metaverse I may just have that confidence.”

Balenciaga, Prada and Thom Browne are among the first brands to sign on to sell digital fashion in the new Meta-created avatar store where, according to Vogue Business items will range from $2.99 to $8.99 to start.

Meta’s avatar shop is expected to launch soon and will include everything from free-to-use creator-designed items to purchasable looks from global fashion brands.

Originally published in Glamourmagazine.co.uk

Read next: Le Collezioni Brings the Best of Luxury Fashion to Egypt—Check Out the Grand Opening

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