The Institute of Digital Fashion brought the metaverse to the Fashion Awards 2021 red carpet

On Monday, the fashion industry was joined by celebrities at the Royal Albert Hall in London for the Fashion Awards 2021. Back to an in-person event for the first time since 2019, the night was a celebration of the world’s top designers and included a touching memorial to Virgil Abloh. 

Outside the hall, bringing digital fashion to the red carpet were the co-founders of the Institute of Digital Fashion (IoDF), Cattytay and Leanne Elliot Young. Armed with their augmented reality activation, the duo dressed guests such as Kristen McMenamy and Gossip Girl’s Evan Mock in the digital garment to make their mark in the metaverse. 

Designed to be worn as an add-on accessory or as a standalone piece, the AR activation speaks to an integral shift happening in the industry; the idea of finding more inclusive and sustainable ways to bring the joys of high fashion, as well as exclusive events like red carpets, into the homes of a new audience. 

“The AR we deliver at IoDF is inclusive and democratised,” the co-founders share. “Anyone can attend and it has zero impact on the environment. It’s beyond the restrictions of our physical world, and the possibilities are endless.”

The AR piece has an other-worldly aesthetic, featuring a metallic bodice that is cinched at the waist and a silhouette accentuated by tendrils and feathering. Cattytay adds, “when designing this AR garment, we thought about structure, adaptability and creating a module garment. We work beyond the restraints of our physical world, so you can swipe for different textures, colours and feathers. They all have physics so they can move around with your body. This is couture; it’s for any body type, the fit is not grounded by design or gender/ability.” 

Come 10 December, the accessory will be minted as IoDF’s first digital garment NFT, which will be available for purchase on digital marketplace The Dematerialised. But for now, you can grab the opportunity to experience the metaverse for yourself when you try on the look via Snapchat. 

Scroll to see your favourite celebrities at the 2021 Fashion Awards in their red-carpet fits, as well as the AR accessory: