A new meta-created fashion marketplace has arrived. Balenciaga, Prada, and Thom Browne were announced to be the first fashion brands at Meta Avatar Store. Starting this week, customers will be able to dress their avatars in iconic brand digital outfits via Meta Avatar Store. It will be available on Instagram, Messenger, and Facebook.
A new research report from the Institute of Digital Fashion suggested that people want more choices for diverse representation in online spaces which represents a huge opportunity for fashion brands.
Balenciaga CEO Cédric Charbit declared in a press release: “Web3 and Meta are bringing unprecedented opportunities for Balenciaga, our audience, and our products, opening up new territories for luxury.”
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram VP of fashion partnerships Eva Chen, announced the updates via Instagram Live on Friday, saying that these capabilities will be available next week, starting with the US, Canada, Thailand, and Mexico.
The items for sale in the avatar store will range from $2.99 to $8.99 to start.
Starting with well-regarded brands was a key first step, said Mark Zukerberg, adding that the vision is to expand access. There are plans to expand this new project to independent creators, so they can sell their designs.“We want to create a marketplace so creators, over time, can design clothing and sell it,” Zuckerberg said. “A lot of the dream is to make it accessible to anyone. If you want to design fashion today, you need the physical materials and equipment, but in the future, anyone with a computer and imagination will be able to come up with ideas for this.”
For brands, this offers exponential ways to sell digital assets to consumers across multiple platforms, scenarios, and identities. Virtual fashion and customizable avatars are slowly becoming the next direct-to-consumer opportunity, especially for Gen Z customers who are increasingly willing to spend time and money in digital worlds.
Words by Melodie Bitala-Samba
Header Image: Artisant.io
