Digital Creators' Influence is Growing in the Fashion World

Editor’s note: This piece is part of our Columnist Network series, which explores the tactical thoughts and actions from Adweek’s community of high-level experts. Today, Roblox’s Christina Wootton urges brands to discover and recognize the work of digital creators. Below, in her own words, she says the metaverse is the space to watch. The challenge In the metaverse, anyone can be a creator. From fashion designers to music composers to architects and animators, if Roblox users can imagine it, they can bring it to life in the virtual world through creation and publishing tools that are foundational for the metaverse-based creator economies. As popular virtual trends spill into real life, brands are taking notice and taking action. If the metaverse is a source of emerging talent and tomorrow’s trends, what can brands do to celebrate digital creators, legitimize their work and reach new audiences? The process The British Fashion Council (BFC) is one notable institution that’s recognizing the emerging metaverse talent for its global impact on the real world. The BFC recently announced the first Fashion Award for Metaverse Design for its 2021 Fashion Awards that took place in November. This new award recognizes a digital designer who pushes the boundaries and showcases excellence in digital fashion design. The five digital creator nominees from the Roblox community were shortlisted for the award by Roblox’s developers and creators. The winner, cSapphire, was chosen by a panel of judges that included BFC chief executive Caroline Rush, supermodel and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss, W Magazine editor in chief Sara Moonves and more. In addition to presenting this IRL award, BFC has partnered with Roblox to create an immersive experience to celebrate the annual awards. Fashion fans from around the world can pose on the red carpet and visit the Royal Albert Hall, where the ceremony traditionally takes place. Alessandro Michele, Gucci’s creative director who himself took home the 2021 Trailblazer award, made an appearance as an avatar to personally present the award in The Fashion Awards experience on Roblox. This type of recognition reflects how digital fashion is influencing communities around the world and brings an additional layer of legitimacy and industry respect to the emerging talent in the metaverse. This award is also a clear declaration that the metaverse is a space to watch and a source of virtual and real-world fashion trends in the seasons to come. A metaverse-exclusive award and corresponding experience also increase the accessibility of the fashion industry, enabling the BFC to highlight designers at all stages of their careers—from school to early metaverse creations to becoming a global fashion designer or brand—which is part of its mission to improve equality and opportunity so the fashion industry remains diverse and open to all. Award judge Kloss said there’s lots of excitement about making fashion more accessible to creators, and she enjoyed reviewing designs from the talented nominees in addition to empowering the next generation of designers at the intersection of fashion and tech. Other industry thought leaders are taking notice too, predicting that metaverse design categories will likely be included in other award ceremonies in 2022. The takeaway The Fashion Award for Metaverse Design is an example of a way that brands can capitalize on the ability of the metaverse to transcend boundaries, allowing more people to access and engage with their brands than ever before. The metaverse can serve as a valuable avenue for attracting new and young audiences as well as tapping into metaverse-first design expertise.

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Digital Creators' Influence Is Growing in the Fashion World

The metaverse is ripe with emerging talent

The challenge

Christina Wootton

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Christina Wootton