Welcome back to Now Runway, where we report to you from the frontlines of the digital fashion and luxury revolution. Today you find us in London, where the temperature has just reached 81 degrees Fahrenheit, and suddenly, the wardrobe we packed for our European summer makes sense.
We love that there is so much happening in digital fashion that sometimes, we miss things — like the Teletubbies dropping a digital fashion collection on Second Life. Read on to see what happened this week, including Perfect Corp. launching AI fashion styling and Zepeto, Asia’s largest metaverse, expanding into the Gen Z market.
Teletubbies
WildBrain, the children’s content company behind the cherished British children’s TV characters Teletubbies, has collaborated with House of Blueberry to design a series of virtual garments for their Second Life fanbase. House of Blueberry is a fashion house in the metaverse, empowering self-expression through digital wearables.
The more than 130-piece collection comprises four unique designs influenced by the vibrant aesthetics and lively antics of the Teletubbies. Each ensemble includes a matching headpiece that mirrors the Teletubbies’ antenna and a custom animation replicating their characteristic dance moves. This collaboration aligns with House of Blueberry’s commitment to fostering self-expression through digital collections in the metaverse.
The Teletubbies, who made their debut on the BBC in 1997, are four distinctively colored characters named after the television screens on their stomachs. They communicate in a playful gibberish language and explore the whimsical world of Teletubbyland. The show has achieved global success, garnering numerous awards and selling over a million copies of its theme song.
The collection can be purchased on Second Life’s marketplace, where users can browse and acquire digital items for their avatars. The outfits are compatible with most avatar bodies and offer customization options for colors and textures. The launch event took place at House of Blueberry’s primary store in Second Life. Attendees had the opportunity to interact with Teletubbies’ avatars, take photographs, and enjoy live music and giveaways.
Melissa Goodrich, Director of Brand Management at WildBrain, shared in a press release, “We’re so excited to be partnering with House of Blueberry to bring the Teletubbies further into the metaverse! The playfulness of the franchise and its appeal to both kids and kids-at-heart has lent itself to giving our partners license to play in the fashion space.”
Perfect Corp.
Perfect Corp., a leader in providing augmented reality and artificial intelligence solutions for the beauty and fashion tech industry, announced the launch of an AI Fashion feature on their widely popular YouCam Makeup app. The AI Fashion tool employs generative AI to offer users a custom digital fashion stylist, transforming how users experiment with clothing, hairstyles, and makeup through AI-created images that offer a variety of fashion looks and styles.
This feature uses sophisticated AI to enable users to alter their style and craft virtual makeovers and style looks with just a few clicks. Using only a personal device, users can now experiment with endless fashion options by downloading the app from the Apple store.
“The introduction of our AI Fashion feature marks a significant milestone in the evolution of YouCam Makeup,” Perfect Corp. Founder and CEO Alice Chang shared in a press release.
“We are thrilled to offer our users a transformative fashion styling experience that seamlessly merges technology and fashion, empowering them to discover, create, and express their personal style like never before. With the power of AI, users can unleash their creativity, redefine their image, and bring their wildest fashion dreams to life.”
Zepeto
Zepeto, the largest metaverse platform in Asia, owned by Korean tech powerhouse Naver, is carving out its niche as an online hub for brands aiming to engage with Gen Z.
The platform, which enables users to design 3D digital avatars and navigate virtual universes, has forged alliances with top-tier fashion and beauty brands as a key aspect of its international growth plan. Zepeto boasts more than 400 million users, with a regional distribution of 65 percent from Asia-Pacific, 15 percent from Europe, and 15 percent from the U.S., which represents its most rapidly expanding market.
Brands like Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Bulgari, Christian Louboutin, Ami, Nike, Adidas, Dior Beauty, Nars Cosmetics, and Kiehl’s have made their presence felt on Zepeto. Furthermore, celebrities such as K-pop sensation Blackpink and actress Selena Gomez have leveraged Zepeto to craft branded digital experiences.
Zepeto’s emphasis on K-pop and stylish avatars has garnered it a predominantly young audience of mostly women. From April 2020 to June 2023, over 2.5 billion items were sold on Zepeto.
Brands have the flexibility to collaborate with Zepeto’s in-house design team or platform creators, depending on their level of commitment, to conceive and execute a product or experience from conception to completion.
