A few weeks ago, I was having breakfast with a friend who is a businessman, technology expert, and an early adopter of a lot of new things. We found ourselves having a debate on how the novel topic of the metaverse was going to evolve.
Honestly, at the beginning I just asked him a lot of questions in order to understand how it is really used or the advantages that it can offer you compared to the offline world. He began by explaining to us that currently you can already configure your virtual office and interact with your team as if you had met up somewhere else in person. Later we let our imagination flow, discussing how it could change or impact sectors like telemedicine, travel, university education, leisure, sport that you can do from your living room, and many, many others.
We also discussed the success of Fortnite with young people and how the gaming sector is growing, and just how much money is involved in esports. The monetization model of Fortnite, which allows you to personalize dances and extras (gadgets) could also be extrapolated to adults.
Depending on how the metaverse evolves and positions itself as a world parallel to the real one, it will bring with it many advantages and disadvantages. However, what is certain is that we live in a world in which we will be hyper-connected. In this world of hyper-connection, it may even come to pass that we give as much importance to our online avatar as to our image in the physical world.
And here is where a world of possibilities opens up for fashion.
I read that the metaverse for the CEEK blockchain is designed to let content creators monetize unique experiences, NFTs, etc. There are already celebrities who are collaborating on immersive experiences in the metaverse.
Let’s go a bit further: CEEK has created a space that was especially designed for brands – CEEK City – in order to attract smaller brands and allow their customers to purchase clothing and accessories. In CEEK City, customers can walk through stores virtually and choose products just like they would at a physical shop.
And we can go even further: H&M has already created a cryptocurrency on CEEK for its users to purchase clothing, whether to pick up at the store or get delivered to their home.
Who else has already taken the leap to the world of the metaverse?
A month ago, Zara took a step by launching their AZ Collection into the Zepeto metaverse, which is also already available at several physical stores. The items cost the same in the virtual world as they do at the real shop.
Dolce & Gabanna held an auction in October 2021 where a selection of clothing, jewellery, and works of art reached the figure of six million dollars in sales.
A touchstone for a digital approach and innovation in the sector is Nike. In November they launched Nikeland,their own metaverse on the Roblox games platform. In Nikeland users can exercise their avatars through games as well as dress their avatar with clothing and shoes from the company.
Adidas has made a strategic alliance with Coinbase. Thanks to this agreement they will accept payment in cryptocurrency and create their own metaverse, the Adiverse, on The Sandbox. If you log onto their Twitter account you can already see three avatars from Bored Ape, Gmoney, and Punks Comic landing on their virtual territory wearing, obviously, Adidas clothing.
When it comes to virtual retail, catwalks, and fashion shows, Tokens.com will build shopping centers on Decentraland where they will organize virtual fashion shows with prestigious brands.
As you can see, the virtual world continues to grow considerably. We will live to see job titles such as Avatar Planner, NFT Manager, or Virtual Store Manager? Place your bets!
I would love to hear your opinion on retail and the metaverse in the comments below the post.
Do you think we still have a long way to go? Do you think the only ones to enter the game will be the largest companies?
