It seems that as each week passes the Roblox corner of the metaverse expands a little more. Following up from their recent NIKELAND release and collaboration with the sports brand, Roblox recently hosted the Fashion Awards in a dedicated experience. Partnering with the British Fashion Council (BFC) Roblox had fully recreated the Royal Albert Hall for users to explore as if they were at the event themselves.
Players walked the red carpet, talking to virtual journalists, commenting on sustainability of materials and what they believe the latest trends are, before entering the historic building to browse clothing on display. It’s not only clothing being showcased, but also the wonderful architecture of the Royal Albert Hall. This digital version included interactive plaques detailing the history of the hall and its importance.
Clothing plays a huge part in the metaverse aspirations of Roblox. So many of the platform’s experiences contain unique clothing and accessories designed by the community creators. With such versatile design tools, many aspiring designers are heading to Roblox to flesh out their ideas on the mannequin-style avatars.
The BFC seized this opportunity, and the sizeable Roblox community, to recognise a Roblox digital clothing designer who “showcases excellence” within the metaverse. The five designers nominated for the award were; inkwaves, Sparklings, cSapphire, GENKROCO and Reverse_Polarity.
cSapphire was chosen as the winner by a panel of judges made up of BFC Chief Executive Caroline Rush, Supermodel and Entrepreneur Karlie Kloss, Dazed Fashion’s Emma Davidson, W Magazine’s EIC, Sara Moonves and Christopher Morency from Highsnobiety.
This is the first time a collaboration of this ilk has occurred, bringing together Roblox, BFC and Gucci, the latter who have exclusive clothing items on sale within the event, with proceeds being donated to the BFC Foundation, which supports the future growth of the British fashion industry. In 2020/21, the BFC raised £1.7 million for the BFC Foundation, and its talent support initiatives. This year the charity supported 33 designers.
Speaking on the new Roblox experience, Christina Wooten, VP of Global Brand Partnerships Roblox said “The next generation of designers are dressing avatars, and they are doing it on Roblox where anyone can be a creator, starting with their own digital identity.”
Speaking on the partnership, Caroline Rush, BFC Chief Executive commented: “As we continue to reposition The Fashion Awards as a global entertainment platform, we are so excited to [work with] Roblox. I was blown away by the work and creativity of all the nominees and am looking forward to exploring The Fashion Awards experience in the metaverse.” Roblox features a robust community of designers, who lend their skills to fashion, game design and world creation, cementing Roblox as a powerhouse in the metaverse.
Of course, the full experience has gamified some aspects of The Fashion Awards, giving players a checklist of tasks which rewards them with an exclusive pair of gold opera glasses after exploring a maze and walking the catwalk in their own fashion ensemble. While players were inside the Royal Albert Hall, a big screen on the stage played clips from The Fashion Awards, creating an atmosphere of creation.
