WILL PRADA BE THE FIRST TO PERFECT THE METAVERSE-MEETS-REAL-LIFE FASHION SHOW?
Photo Courtesy of Prada
24 aug 2022, for frame
Location
Design
Brand
Prada repeated showing its AW22 collection in Beijing, airing a futuristic simulation of the presentation on social app XIRang.
Key features
For Prada to capture the market’s attention with virtual space on the Baidu-owned metaverse platform XIRang, AMO created a disorienting aluminum landscape in real life. It was inserted in the red interior of Yin An Palace, which is situated in the centre of the 400-year-old former royal Prince Shuncheng Mansion in in Beijing. The spaces Prada borrowed for its fashion show, informal dinner and afterparty were visually united with temporary flooring and furniture, like benches and counters made from treadplate aluminum sheets, a material often used for Prada shows. This architectonic insertion into the once-royal compound was supplemented with satin textile ceilings and vertical partitions made of three-dimensional triangular modules, reinterpretations of Chinese paper lanterns.
Frame's take
Turned into a magnificent container of light, the Prada space was not only a spectacle for the in-person visitors – simply logging into Baidu’s XiRang platform translated the Prada spatial experience to customers and potential customers. According to Chinese media, it was Prada’s largest event this year as a result. The project illustrates how fashion brands can conceive events that retain the appeal and intimacy of physical occasions without losing the opportunity to tap into the much wider metaverse audience, solidifying brand image at a larger scale.
This presentation was also yet another bold statement of the Prada fashion house’s aesthetic power. Thanks to Prada shows, the treadplate has become a material of luxury in fashion spaces – the same way nylon has become a luxury material for fashion bags. The interpretation of the Chinese lamps was a purely beautiful site-specific installation to celebrate the central space and its storied past, spanning the Qing dynasty, Japanese occupation, and the establishment of the People's Republic of China.