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Marni sends summer 2022 collection to virtual world, Etro does the opposite
From NFTs to gaming, more and more luxury brands are increasing the number of immersive experiences available online. But, how do they turn these projects into real-life sales? Marni and Etro have proposed two innovative approaches. The former took its Spring/Summer 2022 collection into the virtual world, while the latter replicated its digital looks presented at Metaverse Fashion Week into physical designs. Ultimately, the two brands share the same objective: to offer an immersive experience to their customers (targeting young consumers, of course) to encourage them to buy their products in the real world.
Marni is taking its first steps into the metaverse with its latest project, 'WearWeAre'. The Italian fashion house owned by the OTB group has created a virtual universe on its website via a collaboration with digital design specialist Future Corp and multiverse platform AnamXR. It can be accessed directly and easily from a computer or phone, entering a dreamlike landscape of a pristine island where users encounter the silhouettes reproduced virtually that were showcased in Milan last September. The concept provides fans of the brand with an alternative way of browsing through the collection, accompanied by QR codes placed in its stores.
Users can entertain themselves with these avatars lost in the free-floating landscape. A data sheet then appears on the screen, like in an online store, which the user can click on to like and save the accessory or garment of their choosing on a wish list. Screenshots can also be taken and shared online. Once back on the website's home page, the customer can add the products on their list to their shopping cart and complete their purchase.
“I don’t consider virtuality as a way to detach from reality, but as a different means to explore human experience. Through Wear We Are, we expanded the ideals of human connection. We offer users a new point of view and a new entry-point to engage with content in an immersive but also personal way,” explained artistic director Francesco Risso in a statement.
On the other hand, Etro has taken the opposite route. The Italian fashion house participated in Decentraland’s recent Metaverse Fashion Week by showing a capsule collection dubbed ‘Liquid Paisley’ on March 25. Three weeks later, the Spring/Summer 2022 collection is physically available in the brand’s network of stores, as well as in select retailers.
The lineup consisting of shirts, jackets, mini-dresses, pants, bucket hats and bags, features a paisley print with tattoo effect in green, pink and yellow. The collection was unveiled at an exclusive party in Milan, while an upcoming event in Madrid has been announced.
Simultaneously, a campaign shot by photographer and videomaker Philippe Jarrigeon was released online. "[Jarrigeon's] videos are mixed with the CGI images presented in the metaverse to celebrate a pop and playful dimension once again on the edge between reality and virtuality,” said Etro in a statement, revealing the complexity and scale of the operation put in place, where all elements were taken into account and prepared in advance to link as quickly as possible with the digital event: creating the pieces, virtual design, shooting the campaign, distribution, communication at multiple levels and stages and so on.
In addition, the busy Italian brand is also launching ‘The Pegaflying Crew’, an artistic collective project accompanied by a digital campaign. After the ‘Forever Pirates’ collaboration in February, when eight young talents were invited to reinterpret the renowned famous Indian paisley motif, which has become the brand’s emblem, Etro has now called on four artists from the United States, England, and Italy to create digital artworks inspired by its Pegasus logo.
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