DressX: digital fashion for metaverses
The popularization of the Web3 space may lead to the eternal struggle of "I have nothing to wear" extending into the metaverse. Luckily, industry leaders are staying ahead of the game and actively developing the digital fashion business.
Digital fashion is an innovative field, but its enthusiasts are determined to make such garments commonplace. One such ambitious project is the international multi-brand marketplace DressX, launched in summer 2020 by Ukrainian entrepreneurs Daria Shapovalova and Natalia Modenova.
Source: dressx.com
DressX founders have been involved in the fashion industry for many years. They have organized events such as Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days and Fashion Tech Summit, as well as created a designer showroom called More Dash. They moved to the US in 2017, fully immersing themselves in digital fashion.
Together with Julia Krasnienko, former marketing director of Ukrainian startup Looksery (which was acquired by Snapchat for $150 million in 2015), the entrepreneurs launched DressX. This is an online store selling digital clothing and accessories.
The DressX startup has made waves in the fashion industry and in 2021, it attracted $3.3 million in venture funding. According to its founders, interest in virtual wardrobes is steadily growing. Virtual clothing is in demand among gamers, influencers, video streamers, online conference participants, NFT enthusiasts, and metaverse fans. Interestingly, the founders have also decided to conquer the world of NFTs. They first collaborated with crypto.com and then set up their own marketplace, nft.dressx.com. It sells AR outfits and exo-skins.
DressX has set an ambitious goal to sell 1 billion virtual items. By offering a wide selection of garments for the meta garderobe, the online store is steadily moving toward this goal. Here, buyers can purchase everyday sweatshirts and jeans, luxurious evening gowns, futuristic costumes for metaverses and games, headwear, and accessories from hundreds of designers. Metalook owners receive AR photos and videos of themselves in the outfits. These photos and videos can be used in various Web3 projects or shared on social media.
The project is also launching collaborations with well-known brands, including Adidas, Bershka, and Coca-Cola, and creating separate charity collections. Proceeds from these collections support causes in Ukraine, Turkey, and Syria.
Source: dressx.com
Tips for choosing the perfect digital outfit
To ensure a perfect fit of digital attire, DressX requires customers to upload a high-quality photo that meets specific requirements, such as even natural lighting, no strong shadows or blurry areas, and the person in the photo wearing fitted clothing that matches the style and length of the chosen virtual outfit. For example, when purchasing a dress, it's important to ensure your legs are visible in the photo.
DressX's app even invites users to visit a digital fitting room. With AR, each user can assess the features of the selected outfit and decide whether to add it to their meta wardrobe or not.
People, the planet, prosperity and partnership
DressX's ethos can be summed up in those words. In addition to nurturing its team, expanding the business, and forming fruitful collaborations, the project also places emphasis on environmental conservation.
We strongly believe that the amount of clothing produced today is way greater than humanity needs. We share the beauty and excitement that physical fashion creates, but we believe that there are ways to produce less, to produce more sustainably, and not to produce at all. At a current stage of DRESSX development, we aim to show that some clothes can exist only in their digital versions. Don't shop less, shop digital fashion, — urges the startup's website.
UN's declaration that the fashion industry is one of the planet's most polluting sectors, DressX offers a solution with a minimal carbon footprint and waste output. The project conducts extensive research into the impact of producing, distributing, and using both digital and physical clothing on the environment, with case studies available on dressx.com.
As a further commitment to the cause, DressX donates 1% of all Metaverse sales to No More Plastic, a non-profit organization fighting plastic pollution.
