If you’ve ever thought, “I’d like my digital avatar to wear poorly-performing designer clothing,” there’s great news for you.
Meta is launching an online store where Facebook, Instagram and Messenger users can buy digital clothing for their avatar.
The first brands in the store are Prada, Balenciaga and Thom Browne, and the clothes include motocross uniforms, logo hoodies and suits.
In a Facebook post, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that new brands will soon be joining. “Digital goods will be an important way of expressing yourself in the meta-universe and a big driver of the creative economy,” he said.
High-end fashion houses are increasingly partnering with tech companies to create branded digital apparel and beyond. Last year, Fortnite introduced Balenciaga skins so players could buy clothing like a branded hoodie for the game’s characters. In Roblox, players can visit Gucci Town, featuring a garden with the brand’s logo and a virtual store.
Meta reports that the store will be released “soon”, though information on how users will access the store was not immediately available. Hopefully digital clothing from these companies will cost less than in real life.
In a live stream today, Eva Chen, director of fashion partnerships on Instagram, previewed a look featuring a cropped T-shirt, low-rise jeans and a white belt, placed on Zuckerberg’s avatar.