As the fashion industry enters the virtual world, the interest in gaining a foothold in it may, at first, exceed the technology itself. 

What will you wear in the metaverse? How will your virtual identity dress? Having a single wardrobe that can be used in multiple gaming environments, as well as on social media and other platforms, is a need that is just around the corner. At the moment, in this environment, everything still needs to be done, but in the future you will be able to connect to different metaverses with your avatar and, like in real life, your wardrobe will be something to bear in mind.

Some critics are sceptical of the possibility of the existence of a metaverse, but if it is possible, achieving the utopian “open metaverse” with a single wardrobe will be challenging for a number of reasons, from technical to broader intellectual property issues. Will tech companies be willing to share the metaverse space?

In the near future, instead of going to your wardrobe to choose something to wear for your next video call, you could turn to your virtual wardrobe to choose a 3D-rendered digital outfit to “wear”. At least, that’s what some in the fashion and technology sector are betting on, as more and more companies are looking to the promise of digital fashion. And they’re counting on these virtual suits not just being for your Zoom calls, but that they could eventually be worn throughout the “metaverse”—the concept of an interconnected extended reality world—in games, on social media and, with time, perhaps on your body in the real world through augmented reality (AR) glasses.

It’s not clear how all of this will play out, but at Splash by Lo, we’re feeling optimistic for the time being when it comes to fashion. In our conversations with digital fashion players, everything seems incredibly collaborative. This leaves the decision in the hands of the consumers as to whether they see the benefit in swapping their material possessions for virtual ones.

Ultimately, we need to keep an eye on these changes and new worlds because, whatever happens, these ideas feed our imagination and they’re the new ways of living on this planet.