The metaverse has been a hot topic since Mark Zuckerberg changed Facebook’s name to Meta in late 2021. And as most companies have concentrated on more mainstream metaverses such as The Sandbox and Roblox to gain exposure to new audiences, French fashion house Dior has taken different tact: the Chinese metaverse.
Last weekend, it increased its push into Chinese metaverse with its spring/summer 2023 ready-to-wear fashion show. The event was held at Meta-Ziwu, a digital space in the virtual world named XiRang, owned by Chinese search engine giant Baidu. As stated by Jing Daily, a luxury trade publication, audience members could watch the live show with larger-than-usual Dior logos and “other-worldly aesthetic”.
This is not Dior’s initial foray into the Chinese metaverse. On April 28 in the current year, the fashion house held a runway show named “On the Road” in partnership with Meta Media Holdings. Like last weekend’s show, “On the Road” was held in Meta-Ziwu, that was designed by a famous Chinese architect.
Some Chinese people see the metaverse as the next step for the selling of luxury goods. The Chinese e-commerce giant, Alibaba, lately held an augmented reality fashion show in the China’s metaverse. Its metaverse mall is popular as well, though most shoppers at this point are males.
Other Dior metaverse projects involve its cooperation with Ready Player Me, a company which creates realistic avatars for hundreds of apps. Besides, it collaborated with a cosmetics company to create digital products for consumers in a 2021 campaign.
Luxury companies are betting big on Web3
As many industries have bet big on Web3, few have done so with as much gusto as luxury brands. One of the main reasons companies cite for their push into the emerging technology space is that it enables them to communicate with customers in a new way. Below are three stories at the intersection between luxury brands and the next iteration of the Internet.
• Hermes: The French luxury brand lately filed for trademarks to prevent unauthorized use of its name in the Web 3 space. The trademarks related to cryptocurrencies, digital collectibles, and retail services featuring virtual goods.
• Gucci: Two months ago, the company held an activation in Gucci Town, its home in the Roblox metaverse. It had Miley Cyrus as the initial Gucci Town guest to promote its new fragrance, Gucci Flora.
• Dolce & Gabbana. Seven months ago, the company cooperated with UNXD to release NFTs on the Polygon blockchain. The NFTs corresponded to membership levels and enabled holders to have different types of rewards.
Dior’s investment in the world of Chinese metaverse indicates that not all have the same tact into Web 3. With all the hype about this new luxury goods market in China, this move could pay off well.
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