Amid the overwhelming rush of events – both inside and outside of the fashion space – that has been 2022, even some of the keener catwalk-watchers could probably be forgiven for overlooking that this year has already seen what could turn out to be a very interesting ‘first’. 

Yes, from Thursday 24th March, and continuing through to Sunday 27th March, we have seen the running of the inaugural Metaverse Fashion Week (MVFW) - an event that really can claim to be a fashion week with a difference.

Introducing Metaverse Fashion Week – and why it matters 

With there having already been some 3,000 fashion weeks in the first few months of 2022, Metaverse Fashion Week may not have been one that you were rushing to tick off your ‘must-attend’ list. But in many ways, it should have been – not least because it is one that fashionistas outside of a select circle of top industry insiders actually can attend. 

This virtual-reality-only event has been demonstrating that a fashion week can have a strong sense of occasion and innovation, even when it really is open to anyone and everyone with Internet access. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that according to Vogue Business, the debut MVFW’s participants and organisers have been talking more in terms of experimentation than digital sales. 

In the words of Dundas co-founder Evangelo Bousis: “It is this big experiment that is coming to life. We are all participating for the first time – that is the beauty of this – but you do get nervous.” 

So, perhaps for now, we should be getting more excited about the fact that attendees of MVFW can buy, rather than necessarily whether they will buy. These are the first tentative steps through a still-young world of virtual runway shows, panels and pop-ups, art installations, musical performances, and the opportunity to purchase – and wear – clothing directly from the digital catwalk. 

Will it all be remembered months and years from now as the first of a rush of Metaverse Fashion Weeks that forever reshaped our concept of what such events are, can and should be? We’re daring to have high hopes – and it would seem that the 50 brands taking the opportunity to debut virtual collections in Decentraland’s new Luxury Fashion District are feeling similarly lucky. 

There will even be after-show parties held at MVFW, in another effort to replicate the vibe of ‘real-world’ fashion weeks. Dazed writer Daniel Rodgers didn’t sound entirely ‘sold’ on that one – suggesting that “it’ll be like the first lockdown again, when people convinced themselves that going clubbing on Zoom was fun” – but we’ll put our own inner ‘old fogeys’ to one side on this concept. After all, there will inevitably be some hits and some misses. 

What could be the next step online for your fashion brand? 

If the metaverse is still the bold and the new for so many high-end brands, it is worth acknowledging that there are all manner of slightly more ‘tried and tested’ techniques that can be applied to the benefit of your fashion brand when you are seeking to maximise your impact online. 

For a deeper discussion of what those possibilities could be – ranging from fashion website development and content strategy to app development, ecommerce, and so much more – please do not feel the need to wait any longer to contact Skywire London.