Photogenics, an LA-based model agency, announces a Metaverse division as an iteration of the future fashion. According to the press release, 13 models signed under Photogenics now have their 3D avatars look-alike in the metaverse.
The fashion industry is one of the pioneering fields for new technology adoption. In Web3, brands and agencies are taking initiatives to expand their business in digital form through various projects.
Gucci added a crypto payment method in its stores, Louis Vuitton launched Louis the Game in the metaverse, and Nike acquired RTFKT, an NFT creator studio, to release shoes exclusively on the metaverse for avatars. These are some of the best projects trending in 2022 by fashion brands.
As the metaverse expands into the mainstream world, more fashion brands and companies are expected to innovate using blockchain technology, just like Photogenics is doing now.
Photogenics expands to the digital world
To explore its metaverse endeavors, the model agency has partnered with Nina Hawkins from Lilium Labs and Sage Morei, a 3D filmmaker, from Horizon Labs.
Both of them will be helping Photogenics achieve goals in the digital world through their expertise in the virtual world and blockchain technology.
The idea behind choosing to expand into the digital world, based on the press release, is to help existing models establish their careers as avatars in the metaverse to maintain their longevity in the fashion industry.
Usually, models lose their jobs after 20 years of career because of their body breakdown, which is much similar to professional athletes. The body workouts and attending frequent runway shows sometimes lead to body exhaustion; not to mention the audience prefers younger-looking models due to the stereotypical standard.
Photogenics came out with the solution of bringing 3D model look-alike avatars to maintain careers for a long time even if they aren’t physically fit to do so.
“Unlike us […] our avatar never sleeps and never ages. […] Your avatar can retain your legacy even long after you retire and with it all that you have worked so hard to build,” said Hawkins and Morei.
On its official website, the agency has already posted previews of its 3D avatars based on the models, becoming the first one to do so. Nicole Bordeaux, the founder of Photogenics said, “As trailblazers in the industry, we wanted to create this opportunity so that our industry doesn’t fall to computer-generated talent.”
Photogenics avatars on VTubers
VTubers, also known as Virtual YouTubers, is an emerging industry on YouTube that features virtual avatars as content creators, models, singers, and other entertainers based on people. They are created using avatar software and are highly popular among viewers.
Photogenics is looking for ways to introduce its metaverse avatars as VTubers models. Unlike other industries, the fashion world is yet to explore the possibility of promoting campaigns online via Virtual YouTubers instead of the usual video content of IRL runway shows.
“It’s reassuring that this new discipline isn’t looking to replace the traditional way but rather to augment it,” Hawkins and Morei said.
The model agency might be making an initiative to launch VTuber models to establish their model’s career in the digital world. There’s also a possibility of the models entering the metaverse platforms in the near future.
“Now, we can create limitless campaigns across borders and time zones without the strings attached to offline production. Uniting talent, agency, and avatars, the technology at hand is a powerful tool to propel the industry into a new virtual era,” they said.
Future of fashion models
Metaverse, virtual avatars, and NFTs have opened millions of infinite possibilities for everyone, and Photogenics is exploring just one possibility to keep its models’ legacy alive for a long time.
This new aspect of bringing models to the metaverse can be quite beneficial not only for the models but also for Photogenics to grab people’s attention and promote its brand in metaverse platforms.
