The Metaverse Design Story collection is the latest addition to H&M’s ongoing innovation stories. As the boundaries between online and offline life continue to blur, our design team combines the craftmanship of high fashion with fantasy worlds and virtual reality. The result is a collection starring both physical ready-to-wear garments and digital garments, co-designed and crafted by the Institute of Digital Fashion.
The collection is inspired by the metaverse –– a place where fashion can be enjoyed unencumbered by the laws of gravity or societal expectations. At the same time, the tactile beauty of the natural world serves as a reference point, with pieces inspired by satellite images of planet Earth, microscopic cells and vibrant wildflowers.
“We wanted to present our customers with an explosive collection that captured the excitement we all feel at the dawning of the metaverse, but also the fascination we have with the natural world. The resulting collection is extraordinarily tactile, with hand-beaded and intricately constructed garments, but it also explores the endless possibilities of the digital sphere and H&M’s circular mindset,”
says Ella Soccorsi, concept designer at H&M.
Designed with circularity in mind, several pieces feature recycled polyester fibers made from textile waste collected in partnership with our garment collection program. The collection also utilizes innovative materials such as REPREVE® Our Ocean™ recycled polyester made from ocean-bound plastic bottles. After years of development, 100% recycled sequins made from plastic bottle waste are used to embellish multiple styles.
Key pieces for women include a fuchsia puff-ball mini dress and a ruffled purple mini dress that both resemble a flower in bloom. A corset-waisted, neon-yellow dress with a dramatic tulle skirt also takes center stage alongside a maxi dress with a trompe-l’oeil print and a halterneck party dress embellished with 100% recycled sequins. Meanwhile, futuristic jewelry takes its cue from liquid metal that looks as though it’s been plumped by pixels, winding around necks and wrists in the form of chokers, bracelet cuffs and ear cuffs.
The metaverse offers a new way to look at personal style and the potential of ever-evolving, limitless wardrobes. The collection explores this frontier with a selection of 3D filters crafted by the Institute of Digital Fashion in their digital atelier. For one dress, water droplets shift and wrap around the body, and for another, aquatic flowers flare out into glowing, algae-inspired tips. Other filters include a look rendered with clustered onyx stones as well as a swirling metallic gown and a molten headpiece that sparks with electricity.
“Together with H&M, we created and built the digital garments featured in the metaverse collection. We considered the ephemeral world around us and wanted to look beyond physical materials and their restraints.These digital garments go beyond seasons, gender and realities –– they are for everybody,”
say the co-founders of IoDF, Leanne Elliott Young (CEO) and Cattytay (Creative Director).
Menswear highlights include a forest-green faux fur coat inspired by landscapes from above, an oversized bomber jacket adorned with intricate beading, and a pair of extravagant ribbon-ruched pants and a matching suit in emerald-green velvet. For after-dark, one top features a boned corset-waist with lace-up ties at the shoulders, and another style glistens all over with recycled glass beads. Aside from the jewelry, accessories include a pair of amphibian-like sneakers and an embellished cap to coordinate with the bomber jacket.
The H&M Innovation Metaverse Design Story will be on sale in select stores and online at hm.com, and available for rental in select stores, from December 8, 2022. Local devi
