Metaverse here, metaverse there, metaverse everywhere. This virtual-reality-powered version of the internet has become Silicon Valley’s new obsession. But we have a question. What will the metaverse mean to the textile industry: the fibre producers, spinners, weavers, knitters, dyers, and finishers who make up half the textile pipeline?
Glimpses of the metaverse are already everywhere. Virtual concerts attract record audiences, high-end designers sell virtual fashion, and gaming has become a livelihood for many. As supporters trumpet its mind-blowing possibilities and economic opportunities, the price of digital real estate continues to soar. Some investors say it’s like buying up Fifth Avenue in 1800, reports the UK magazine, The Week. Of course, not every Silicon Valley brainwave has succeeded. The metaverse is a concept that will take years to come to full fruition. But it’s easy to mock.
The move from two into three dimensions is a logical consequence of the steady growth in computing power and breakthrough technology. Due to the pandemic, most people in the Western world are familiar with the notion of working and socialising online, and, in theory, the metaverse can only improve on this. Throw in a fully functioning digital economy where you can earn and spend digital currency and it seems hard to refuse. Besides, the video-game industry has been selling virtual worlds for years. These days 200 million people a month hang out on Roblox, a combination of video game and construction set.
Tens of millions watched and interacted with an Ariana Grande avatar for a concert in the video game Fortnite. It is hard to argue that an idea will never catch on when, for millions of people, it already has.
Cover photo: Creative Direction, Photography Wayta Monzon (View-Collective); layout & styling, Natasja Smit; hair and make-up artist, Jazz Ben Khalifa; Models, Tisja Janssen and Rintje Olieslagers.
By reversing our vision, and first considering the ‘what and how’ available to us, we can unlock a new level of creativity.
From tattoo artists to fashion designers, to game developers, it’s evident that the approaching new ages of art are far from what is considered traditional.
The brands Re-construct and Charles-Antoine celebrate the body and the uniqueness of skin through their designs.
Collaborations between artists, designers, environmentalists, scientists and even across brands are being formed to optimise ideas and shine radical new light onto the pathway forward.
Conceptual tailoring is paired with casualised styles, creating hybridised looks that create two contrasting, overall directions - one focussed on modular minimalism, and the other featuring crafted or nature-infused aesthetics.
By reversing our vision, and first considering the ‘what and how’ available to us, we can unlock a new level of creativity.
Our ancestral roots guide us towards a futuristic approach to a new biological age. This is a unique time in which visions inspired by the observation of the natural world and synthetic biology merge
