Fashion has entered the digital world with a bang: an entire fashion week took place in the metaverse earlier this year; Meanwhile, brands like Gucci have created accessories that can only be worn in a virtual state. The list goes on. Industry is becoming increasingly interconnected with technology, with the relationship between the physical and the digital becoming more symbiotic by the day.
So it’s no surprise that the latest digital fashion event, which took place in London last week, was hosted by Meta, arguably one of the dominant forces driving the metaverse and all the attention it receives. And while the event was founded on the marriage of fashion and technology, it was much more focused on celebrating the LGBTQ creative community.
Held at 180 The Strand exhibition and performance space, Queens of the Metaverse brought digital fashion into an engaging display, resulting in a comprehensive display of physical and artificial design. The concept is not only innovative, but big: bringing together drag, fashion, art, performance and the metaverse in one space, with no one component eclipsing the other. Three unique pieces were created by three aspiring designers using virtual reality, augmented reality and Meta’s Horizon Workrooms, and then translated into physical clothing, worn by three renowned drag artists.
In the metaverse, Fashion Week is for everyone
Meta order requires Blue Hydrangeathe winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs. the World, Aunt Kofia pop music artist and star i RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 2 and Adam all, a world famous drag king. The three were individually joined by Nwora Emenike, a queer, non-binary fashion designer, Sal Mohammed, a queer, genderqueer NHS worker and drag queen, and Christie Lau, a non-binary Central Saint Martins graduate whose portfolio often participates in the digital realm. fashion.
The three designers spoke exclusively to Mashable about the design journey, their affinity for drag, and how technology can become more inclusive in design if the companies making it engage with members of the LGTBQ community for innovative projects like this one. The most distinctive part of the design process is that the options for creativity in the project were limitless – just like the drag itself. This is largely what attracted Mohammed, Lau and Emenike to undertake the collaboration.
“In the virtual realm, you can be anything,” says Lau. “You’re not limited to the physical body. It’s a really interesting time to create.”
Lau was given the challenge of configuring a Superverse Supersuit for Adam All. The designer studied the artist’s performances and wanted to channel their “incredibly animated” expression on stage to complement the bespoke outfit; Lau drew other threads of inspiration from classic cartoons such as Looney Tunesplucking art-deco patterns, prints and colors to bring the look together.
Adam All in Lau’s creation, the Superverse Supersuit.
Credit: Meta / PA Media
Lau, who is passionate about using artificial intelligence in their work, said the process was “extremely liberating” due to the unbridled nature of digital fashion and that the tools within VR and AR are “creating a new line”. for designers.
“We can design things without real-world physics,” Lau explains. “You’re creating your own world that your design exists in. That’s incredibly powerful.”
“We can design things without real-world physics.”
Emenike, who collaborated with Blu Hydrangea, was given the brief for Fantasy Dreamscape – and therefore had a world of possibilities to consider. The designer took into consideration the visuals of water deities, lakes and liquid mercury. Kehlani’s 2020 song “Water” from her album Blue Water Road also fueled these dark visions, which became reality with the AR filters that Meta asked designers to play with.
More than anything, Emenike wanted to make sure that whatever the final product looked like would speak to Hydrangea’s artistry: “I went into it knowing that she’s a queen who completely transforms herself into anything short.”
Blue Hydrangea in Emenike’s design, Fantasy Dreamscape.
Credit: Meta / PA Media
The perspective of identity transformation played into the final creation, and Emenike says this idea is what lies at the core of both drag and technology.
“Connection [between the two] it’s new. Drag pushes the boundaries and changes perceptions of what you think is possible with human identity, they say. “With both, you can transform identity and create a fantasy.”
Mohammed, who is not a designer by trade, felt similarly about the show’s ambition and crossover between disciplines.
“Drag is really fun, and technology can facilitate fun situations,” they say.
This kind of thinking underpinned his creation of Tia Kofi, who provided the theme of “Intergalactic Goddess”. Mohammed then turned to a mood board that included photos from NASA’s Webb telescope, star formations and space vignettes. They thought to themselves, “If there was no limit, what would I want to wear and what would I want my clothing to do? The sky’s the limit.”
To mimic a “starburst,” Mohammed drew his concept on paper and then brought it to life through VR filters, just as Lau and Emenike did.
Tia Kofi in Muhammad’s rendition of the “Intergalactic Goddess.”
Credit: Meta / PA Media.
Each of the final looks, which were presented digitally on screens and physically by the drag performers themselves at the official show organized by Meta, were put together by a troupe of creatives. Mohammed says there were “awesome” people behind the scenes, from wig designers to digital designers to make-up artists. This is not unlike trying to produce a traditional fashion show, but with the presence of digital, new positions are being created and new skills are required.
The show as a whole presented the metaverse in a different light, especially for those behind the scenes. For Muhammad, such digital spaces were always, historically and firmly, within a “technological brochure circle.”
“It felt like the intersection of traditional technology and weird technology,” they tell Mashable. “Once you’re in, the possibilities are endless. It really lowers the barriers to entry to becoming an artist.”
“It felt like the warping of traditional technology and weird technology. Once you’re in the possibilities are endless.”
Emenike agrees, saying that digital fashion is making the industry as a whole more accessible, but these online spaces must now navigate what that accessibility will look like. “We need to be ethical, consider the climate, consider sustainability and be truly representative of the people,” they say. Lau reaffirms the necessity of inclusion in the metaverse, noting, “These identities have to be designed.”
As Meta continually dips its toes into the aesthetics and apparel it can offer users in the metaverse, the company seems aware of the need to design for a wide range of identities.
Ineke Paulsen, Meta’s director of marketing in EMEA, said in a statement about the event, “Creative communities are central to the development of the metaverse, ensuring that we are building a space for each of us.”
The company is showing their desire to be inclusive, especially as the metaverse develops, takes shape and takes up space. This hasn’t always been the case with Meta, which has a pretty poor record of protecting LGBTQ people who use platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Media watchdog GLAAD recently reported that platforms such as those mentioned above could do much more to protect LGBTQ users by implementing policies, increasing transparency, and committing to protecting these groups online. Instagram has also been noted, over the years, for banning shadow posts from marginalized groups (in other words, strategically hiding specific content).
Queens of the Metaverse it was, indeed, a wonderful celebration of LGBTQ talent and what could be the future of fashion. And for Meta, this display of pride and creativity should be used as a springboard for much more commitment to inclusion and true diversity. The blended reality show was a step forward, with many steps forward.
