Prada in the digital looking glass: when virtual fashion stopped being just a toy
Remember back in the day when virtual clothing seemed like something out of science fiction? Today, we're seeing Prada and Snapchat plotting a digital revolution in fashion, and frankly, it looks like the start of something really big.
Imagine your digital doppelganger flaunting a Galleria da Saffiano bag for just £8! Yes, yes, that's exactly how the Prada Group and Snapchat decided to turn our perception of luxury shopping upside down. And guess what, it's working! Especially when it comes to Generation Z, who seem to live more in their smartphones than in the real world.
It's funny to see how the luxury industry, which has always prided itself on exclusivity, has suddenly started flirting with virtual reality. From Balenciaga 's first attempts at the Meta Avatar Store to today's exquisite Prada and Miu Miu collections for Bitmoji, the road has been thorny but definitely worth it.
And what's going on with AR technology! Remember how everyone gasped when Louis Vuitton allowed you to “try on” a virtual Keepall via Snapcode? Now we're talking about entire virtual closets where you can find everything from Miu Miu 's micro-wool shorts to Prada's iconic nylon caps.
The best part is that this whole digital masquerade isn't just a tribute to fashion. It's a clever strategic move. Jeffrey Perez, head of Snapchat's luxury division, talks about “pushing boundaries” for a reason. After all, what could be smarter than letting young people “wear” branded items virtually while they can't afford real ones?
By the end of 2024, Snapchat 's digital catwalk has turned into a real fashion Olympus, where Prada and Miu Miu neighbor Adidas, Nike and even Crocs. And yes, some virtual outfits do need to be bought with real money - take Valentino's Bitmoji Luxury collection. Irony? Perhaps. But the fact remains that people are willing to pay for pixelated luxury.
And what does spring-summer 2025 have in store for us? Prada glasses with AR-lenses that reflect beaches, marble statues and yachts on the horizon. Sounds like a futuristic movie script, but it's already reality. Or is it virtual? In this new world, the boundaries are so blurred that sometimes it's hard to know where one ends and the other begins.
And you know what the most amazing thing is? This is just the beginning. Someday we will look back at those first virtual collections with the same nostalgia that we look back at the first couture shows today. Only instead of a catwalk, it's augmented reality, and instead of mannequins, it's our digital avatars wearing designer outfits. The future of fashion is here, and it looks nothing like we imagined. It looks much more interesting.
