LA-based modeling agency and media company Photogenics hope that the avatars of their real-life models in the metaverse will positively impact the way companies advertise and consumers shop.
Their human-like avatars resemble the models in real life and can be booked to work in the metaverse for virtual runway shoes. Luxurious fashion brands are now making millions in the virtual world and Photogenics believe that their avatars could take it to the next level.
Luxurious Fashion Brands are Going Virtual
In the real world, the wait list for a Birkin bag could stretch for years. But the growing presence of the fashion industry in the metaverse could give others a chance to get their hands on a virtual bag from the British startup The Dematerialised, which sells virtual luxuries that only exists online.
The first item was sold on December 12, 2020, which was a silver sweater sold for $137 and sold in just three hours. More so, Dutch virtual couture house the Fabricant allows users to create exclusive apparel for their avatars on social platforms.
According to Bloomberg, The Dematerialised sells popularized streetwear, such as a show, bag, or other limited edition items in which only a single brand or computer-designed product is available at any one time.
It may seem silly that some people are spending money on intangible luxuries, but gamers have long used clothes to establish their online identity just like what people do in the real world. These are called "skins" or outfits that players bought by customizing their appearance online.
Executives in the fashion industry are taking the trend in the metaverse seriously, especially in Facebook's Meta where this niche has the potential to get very big. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that avatars will soon become as common as profile pictures today instead of static images, and will be living 3D representations of people online.
How Can Human-Like Avatars of Models Contribute to the Virtual Fashion Industry?
Photogenics is launching its human-like avatars of 13 models and then having them booked for gigs with a percentage going to the models who will serve as the basis for the design, Observer reported. Photogenics CEO Nicole Bordeaux said that the company will not replace professional modeling with these avatars but extend it to the metaverse.
These avatars are introduced as luxury brands are experimenting with their existence in both physical and digital space. For example, Gucci created Gucci Gardens and Gucci Town, while Louis Vuitton launched Louis the Game.
Horizon Lab director Sage Morei and Lilium Labs owner Nina Hawkins created the avatars of Photogenics using a proprietary unfinished mobile app to scan the face of a model and render their facial structure and skin texture. Then they work with the skin mesh using 10 software programs to create the model's human-like avatar.
Ganna Bogdan, a professional model that worked for Sephora, Revolve, Nike, and other brands said that humans have limited time on Earth, but they can live forever and leave their mark in the metaverse.
Clients would receive a digital file when they hire an avatar and it is up to their 3D artists to dress and style the avatar. Fashion brands in the metaverse can create clothes that are not in the real world, such as those that are made of fire or water.
Bordeaux noted that the goal is to create avatars for the luxury sector. Eventually, they hope to make avatars that can speak and have unique personalities in the metaverse.
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