Charles & Keith taps virtual K-pop artist for The Sandbox virtual world

Charles & Keith is expanding its presence in the metaverse world with the launch of its first virtual world, CharlesKeithHaus, on The Sandbox platform, and has enlisted virtual K-pop artist Apoki to appear.

Pritish Bagdi

Image: Charles & Keith/ Apoki

The virtual world is modelled after the retailer's 'State of Play' spring/summer 2023 campaign and is curated to reflect the spirit of the new collection, right down to the domain's colour palette.

From March 13 to 27, CharlesKeithHaus will offer in-game quests such as quizzes and challenges, such as finding a secret room to redeem a digital wearable of its Petra Curved Shoulder Bag. There will also be an NFT gallery displaying new artworks.

Apoki, South Korea's number one virtual K-Pop artist, will make a special appearance and perform her first single of 2023, 'Mood V5,' while dressed digitally in pieces from Charles & Keith's new collection. Apoki was designed to resemble "a rabbit-like being living somewhere in space" and is trained in K-pop music and dance.

"Apoki is South Korea's most talked-about virtual artist with a global following; she inspires fans to express themselves, much like we aim to spark joy and confidence in women to experiment with fashion," Charles & Keith add in a statement.

The rooftop party will also include a catwalk where guests will be able to see the new collection in "real" time.

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Vivienne Tam introduces NFTs to New York Fashion Week.

With a collection that brought the digital world right onto the physical runway, CFDA member Vivienne Tam offered an alternative take on metaverse incorporation.

Swati Bhat

Vivienne Tam AW23, NYFW. Image: Vivienne Tam

The designer was inspired by a utopian vision of Hong Kong in her AW23 collection, 'Weaving into the Metaverse,' where Web3, blockchain, and gaming worlds already run rampant. Images of China's 12 zodiac symbols sat alongside visuals of Web3 NFTs, which Tam saw as weaving "the cradle of civilisation into the metaverse" on a number of pieces.

"From the beginning of civilisation, humanity has used pictures to communicate and document our history; now, humanity uses pictures to create new currencies, communities, environments, and even worlds," the designer said in a statement.

Tam's New York Fashion Week presentation was mirrored in an after party where guests could access both the in-person and metaverse worlds via live portals.

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H&M emphasises textile recycling in new ‘Metaverse Design Story’

Fast fashion retailer H&M has presented its latest collection as part of its Innovation Stories initiative, a project through which it said it is aiming to push the fashion industry towards more sustainable methods of consumption.

Photo Credits: Campaign image from H&M's new Innovation Metaverse Design Story collection. Photo courtesy.

Initially unveiled during an event in Madrid, Spain, the ‘Metaverse Design Story’ exists in a ‘phygital’ format, with both a ready-to-wear menswear and womenswear collection to be available to purchase, rent and own as digital assets, all of which is set to launch December 8.

Key pieces in the physical line have been designed as evening wear styles, such as corset-waisted dresses, beaded bomber jackets and metallic sandals.

In a release, the retailer said several pieces feature “recycled polyester fibres made entirely out of old garments and textile waste” collected through H&M’s in-store garment-collection programme.

It added that one of its form-fitted dresses was made using a zero-waste pattern cutting process, while other materials utilise Repreve’s Our Ocean recycled polyester made from ocean-bound plastic bottles.

Next to the physical collection, five augmented reality (AR) filters, accessible via its app, complete the line.

Designed in partnership with the Institute of Digital Fashion and powered by Snap, the AR lens allows users to virtually try-on the pieces in a bid to merge the physical and digital worlds.

Alongside the collections, customers can also experience the collection via an interactive metaverse space now available, celebrating the garments made for the line and the future possibilities of digitalisation.

#metaverse #digitalfashion #HandM #fashion #VR #AR #metaverse