In the article “The metaverse fashion stylists are here” by Tanya Basu, the author covers the exponentially-expanding and bizarre world of virtual spaces fashion designers. The article largely interviews Jenni Svoboda aka Lovespun, a visual fashion designer known widely on the internet for her creation of highly-sought after clothing and accessories for Roblox avatars. Roblox is a virtual gaming platform where players can socialize and play games created by other Roblox players. Lovespun is known for her fantastical, intricate, and realistically-improbable designs that allow people to live out their greatest virtual fantasies. And it’s this that proves to be the most fascinating aspect of the rising popularity in the virtual market for clothes such as Lovespun’s. Fashion stylists for the metaverse - a virtual alternative reality space that is being increasingly integrated into both personal and commercial spaces as a means of interacting with other people - are rising in demand as more and more players seek out people to curate a means of bringing their fantasies to life. A player’s avatar on games such as Roblox allows them to live out their dreams or preferences regardless of their gender in real life - from being able to create an avatar of your gender preference, to creating an avatar that isn’t human at all. Metaverse players are drawn towards the ability to express themselves in a limitless digital space, and stylists such as Lovespun get to cater to their wishes while also being able to challenge their own creativity. While this has not proved to be a primary career as of yet - many metaverse stylists like Lovespun have day jobs running their own fashion companies or curating clothes for real-life people - they are drawn towards the inception of Metaverse styling due to the ability to push ideas of fashion that would otherwise be impractical on real bodies. It’s primarily the chance to gain skills in this new medium as compared to the sale price of the limited release of some of these virtual fashion products, where the resale price most often exceeds the initial sale price.
I absolutely love the creativity and means of self-expression that virtual reality offers, where people can find joy in curating a version of themselves where they otherwise experience body dysmorphia or a lack of access to clothes that make them comfortable. However, the idea of larger companies encroaching on this virtual market really irritates me, as I want the priority to be on the creativity of the outfits rather than the profit to be made off of intangible, expressive versions of ourselves.
A dress on Roblox that now resells for $5,000 and sold for about $461 when the first 432 units were released (modeled after an irl Karlie Kloss gown from fashion week).
A magical outfit Lovespun designed for a male client.
Example of a nonhuman avatar.
Lovespun partnering with Forever 21 n Roblox (releasing limited units of her virtual fashion).
Roblox fashion show