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10.24.22
FROM THE EDITOR

Following a tumultuous past week, the metaverse is back in the mainstream news for something a little more promising. British fashion label and household name Burberry announced that it will be partnering with none other than gaming behemoth Minecraft on a multifaceted collaboration, complete with a physical capsule collection. Meanwhile, L’oreal announces its latest Web3 accelerator alongside Meta, which aims to support a number of startups as they begin their virtual endeavors, while DressX storms ahead with two special projects, reclaiming its title as one of the most exciting pioneers in the digital fashion space.

In the Chinaverse, things are also looking rosy. The mainland is preparing for its first ever Metaverse Fashion Design Competition in November, which will welcome a series of institutions and digital humans through its doors, while one of the country's first digital streetwear accessories brands receives funding from a Shenzhen-based jewelry label.

Overall, a collective sigh of relief permeated the virtual landscape over the weekend as, thankfully once again, things are starting to look up for Web3. As always, please keep sending your launches, projects, and exciting new developments.
 
Thanks for reading! 

- Bethanie Ryder, Metaverse Editor

THE BIG STORY
Burberry and Minecraft have teamed up to release multilayered project, 'Burberry: Freedom to Go Beyond' as luxury officially enters its gamification era.

The News Is Out: Burberry Has Officially Entered Minecraft

What Happened: Last week, Burberry and Minecraft announced that they would be coming together on a multilayered project, starting with a customized in-game adventure titled Burberry: Freedom to Go Beyond. In addition to the program, the two brands also unveiled a clothing capsule collection that would also be available as part of the collaborative venture.  

Since news hit headlines, both fashion and gaming aficionados have speculated what the yet to be revealed collection might look like; whether it will include Burberry’s iconic monogram detail that it has previously incorporated into digital wearables on platforms such as Zepeto and Epic Games, or lean more towards Minecraft’s cues of for bricks, blocks, and 8-bit graphics. Whatever the answer, the collaboration has already made a buzz across social media since its release. 


The Verdict: As the British fashion house undergoes a huge internal transformation, welcoming Daniel Lee as its new creative director who succeeds Riccardo Tisci after his five year tenure, it's interesting that the label feels that now is the right time to turn towards digital innovation and large-scale collaborations like these. But it makes sense for them to team up with Minecraft. Not only are gaming platforms becoming the Internet's next channel of social networks, but Minecraft is one of the major cornerstones of the digital space — the platform hosts over 17 million players and has swiftly become one of the pillars within the cross-platform landscape. 

Since its rise in popularity, the game has made waves across the merchandise market, with many fans often donning garments emblazoned with Minecraft graphics. But this partnership takes the concept of merch to the next level, as it moves into the luxury sector and aims to bring the bridge between digital and physical immersion even closer. As Burberry moves away from its previous gaming partnerships, this latest collection hails the start of new beginnings for the brand, with promises of a very optimistic future in the world of Web3.
META BITES
The brands making their name known in the Web3 space this week.

DRESSX x READY PLAYER ME

  • World’s largest retailer of digital fashion DRESSX has partnered with leading with metaverse avatar platform Ready Player Me. The goal is to make the process of digital dressing as seamless as possible, by housing the digital wardrobe or ‘metacloset’ for every buyer of digital fashion worldwide. The platform also recently announced its partnership with GallerieX, where it will be showcasing a special digital capsule collection, featuring the likes of Dior and YSL, inspired by the archive of WWD Korea.
L'ORÉAL x META
  • L'Oreal, Meta, and French business school HEC Paris are joining forces to launch a startup acceleration program dedicated to creativity in the metaverse. The programme will support at least five startups that specialize in 3D production, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality, avatar creation, token economy and much more. The startups do not have to be specifically related to the beauty industry, with the program taking place in one of the world’s biggest startup campuses in Paris. Applications are open until November 20 and a jury composed of Meta, L’Oréal, and HEC members, as well as entrepreneurs and investors will select the winners in December.
RIMOWA x RTFKT 
  • After a week of hinting at what a collaboration could entail, the news has been released. Rimowa and Rtfkt will be launching a limited-edition cabin suitcase. The 888 pieces produced reflect a number which in several (including Chinese) cultures symbolizes wealth and prosperity. The suitcase will be released first as an NFT collection from October 27 via Rtfkt’s platform, for the equivalent of $3,000 in ETH. The owners of an NFT will then be able to redeem the token to acquire a piece of physical luggage during a forging event on December 15. The luggage, which features a unique design of pixels and futuristic motifs, will be sent out in April next year.
GUCCI APPOINTED A HEAD OF METAVERSE. SHOULD LUXURY FOLLOW SUIT?
As metaverse interest accelerates, just how necessary is it for luxury brands to be introducing digital-first divisions and experts into their strategies?

Read the full story on Jing Daily here.

ON CHINA'S RADAR
The latest digital project catching Jing Meta's attention this week.

Could Digital Jewelry Become The Chinaverse's Next Big Thing? 

0086, one of China’s first original digital streetwear accessories brands, has received strategic funding from Shenzhen-based jewelry label Romanti Jewelry. Since its launch, 0086 has released a number of virtual products such as sneakers and skateboards, participated in Shenzhen Fashion Week, and actively encouraged innovative collaborations  through physical products and VIP membership rights with virtual matching. The brand uses game engine, 3D animation production, blockchain technology and augmented reality means (AR) to combine digital art creativity and fashion design to create a new cultural vision that appeals to the evolving Gen-Z audience. Will its latest funding help to popularize digital jewelry pieces in China's metaverse?

CHINA'S METAVERSE MOVES
The latest virtual developments taking the Chinaverse by storm.

China Prepares For Its First Ever Metaverse Fashion Design Competition 
 

Finally, China is gearing up for the celebration of its inaugural Metaverse Fashion Design Competition, which will formally begin on November 11 and be held in Wuhan. The seven-day event features  a supercomputer called "Calculating Cubic” developed by Wuhan tech company Zettakit. Wang Hongmin, one of the major directors of China Fashion Week, is set to direct the competition, which will host over 20 fashion and art education institutions, each participating in the contest. 

The showcase will also present a number of digital humans wearing virtual outfits designed by the participants via s metaverse space created by the "Calculating Cubic", which pledges to revolutionize fashion design by dramatically shortening the design cycle to minutes and avoiding material waste. With expectations high for the event, this might just be a watershed moment for Chinese fashion and its impact on the industry’s overproduction crisis.

All social listening data is sourced from social listening tool Digimind.
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