Mexico City.— A total immersion in an alternate world, the great leap of social networks, where the experience will be equivalent to reality, a universe like that of The Matrix with avatars that will take our place. And yes, where the world is already buying the so-called NFT (Non Fungible Tokens or Non-Fungible Goods), which do not exist in reality.
"There is no universally accepted description of the metaverse created by Mark Zuckerberg. But, explained in a colloquial way, it is a digital environment where we can interact through avatars, erasing physical limitations. An alternate universe that will change everything through new experiences and forms of expression. The metaverse is the next big technology platform," says Christian Acquista, trend expert at the WGSN platform.
"Since 2003 there were already digital models like Lil Miquela, but today it is already being discussed whether the digital Birkin bag, intervened by some artist, can be bought in that world at four times more than the real value", says Gustavo Prado , an expert analyst in trends on the Trendo México platform.
But what does a customer get by buying something that doesn't physically exist?
"The buyer today obtains exclusive products to be able to use in their avatars or collect as pieces of art that they can show off on their social networks and that, in addition, as a collector, they can sell much more expensively in the future," says Christian.
And so, many firms are venturing into this universe, thereby setting new consumer standards. Among them are Balmain, Ralph Lauren, Gap, Calvin Klein, Armani, Diesel, Dolce & Gabbana and others.
"Recently, GAP physically sold a garment for $9. If you paid $26 more you had access to their NFT, if you also paid $436 more they gave you access to an even more exclusive NFT. You can only show off these garments on your networks," Prado points out.
It is in this way that fashion will increasingly explore the advantages of having a presence in the virtual world, mixing it with the physical world and also contributing to preserving the environment.
"Definitely, the 'phygital' (physical/digital) world will be increasingly intertwined, so we will see that these digital purchasing practices will increase," explains Christian, who adds that this decade will already see a great development of the metaverse.
There is also the danger that this whole idyllic world is one totally removed from reality.
Thus, according to experts, this metaverse is still in the process of development, but it will continue to advance at a rapid pace, so in this decade we will see the implementation worldwide, if not 100 percent, then at least a breakthrough . In Mexico, however, given the economic conditions, according to Prado, it could take almost 30 years.
Some data
– The brokerage firms place the business opportunity of the metaverse at 8 billion dollars.
– Gucci sold a digital version of its Dionysus bag for more than $4,000 ($800 more than the physical version).
– Dolce & Gabbana sold a collection of NFTs for more than 6 million dollars.
– The firm The Fabricant sold an iridescent silver dress that changes shades depending on the light for $9,500.
