A few days ago, Dior unveiled its latest virtual presentation, showcasing its new men’s collection in an exclusive event within the Chinese metaverse. The collection, titled “On The Road,” pays homage to Jack Kerouac’s iconic novel and was accessible through the metaverse application called XiRang on Baidu, a popular Chinese social network and search engine. The virtual fashion show was hosted within the Meta Ziwu space, an alternative reality created by Chinese architect Ma Yansong.
Users of the XiRang application were able to immerse themselves in the virtual world and witness the new collection curated by artistic director Kim Jones. The stage set was inspired by the pages of Kerouac’s novel, which was published in 1957, the same year Christian Dior passed away. The virtual experience also included a campaign mini-film directed by filmmaker Bo Hanxiong, adding to the immersive nature of the presentation.
Dior’s venture into virtual worlds is not a first for the fashion house. Last year, they collaborated with Ready Player Me to offer avatar customization, and they also introduced a digital version of their makeup line within the popular game Zepeto. This latest move by Dior further strengthens their presence in the Chinese metaverse, a strategic decision considering the significant growth of luxury goods sales in China. In fact, luxury sales in China increased by 36% last year, and the country is on track to become the world’s number one luxury market by 2025.
Aside from the strategic implications, Dior’s foray into the Chinese metaverse raises interesting questions about how the metaverse can be localized and segmented to cater to different markets. The appropriation of the metaverse by luxury brands is an evolving concept that holds immense potential.
If you want to delve deeper into the relationship between luxury, NFTs, and the metaverse, ULTIMZ Journal is organizing a free webinar on Thursday, May 5, 2022, at 6 pm. The webinar will feature experts who will discuss the interplay between these three domains. For more details about the webinar’s speakers and registration, visit the dedicated page.
Useful links:
1. ULTIMZ Journal: Luxury, NFTs, and the Metaverse Webinar
2. Jing Daily: Dior’s Collaboration with Zepeto
