Queens of the Metaverse is the first mixed reality drag fashion show. It shows how the LGBTQ+ creative community is using technology to inspire a new wave of drag fashion designs.
The Transition from the from Metaverse to the Runway
Blu Hydrangea, the winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. The World,” Tia Kofi, a pop music artist and contestant on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 2, and Adam All, a well-known drag king, debuted three metaverse-inspired drag looks created using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies at the immersive runway show in London.
In a groundbreaking design approach, the three drag acts collaborated with three aspiring designers from the LGBTQ+ community. Three outfits were created by digital fashion designers Nwora Emenike, Sal Mohammed, and Christie Lau using virtual design software, digital avatars, and Horizon Workrooms. The clothes were then produced in the real world.
The clothes were displayed on the VR runway to an audience of LGBTQ+ creatives and digital innovators, including the new “Ru Paul’s Drag Race” cast members, demonstrating the strength of collaboration in the metaverse.
Each costume also has a different design that was brought to life using dynamic AR filters.
“The metaverse will make our drag bigger and better. Even though the metaverse is in the early stages of development, the technologies behind it are already bringing exciting new ways for the drag community and LGBTQ+ creatives to express themselves and experiment. I can only imagine how much further virtual reality would have taken my creativity when I was younger than hiding with bin-bags and sharpies in my bathroom.”
– Blu Hydrangea, winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. The World
Expanding Artists’ Capabilities in Design and Teamwork
There are a lot of drag people on our platforms. Based on the data we have, #DragQueen is in the top 1% of Instagram hashtags that people in the UK follow. Queens of the Metaverse supports queer communities’ right to self-expression, social connection, and visibility in both the real and virtual worlds.
‘’Creative communities will help make the metaverse inclusive and inspiring – with the technologies underpinning it helping creatives overcome some of the barriers that might exist in the physical world, like access to studio space and raw materials. Meta’s Queens of the metaverse is a celebration of how communities can push the boundaries of creativity and social connection physically and online.’’
– Ineke Paulsen, Meta’s Director of EMEA Marketing
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