Gucci is partnering with "Roblox" to open the virtual version of its artsy Gucci Garden, bringing the iconic fashion brand's digital items into the gaming platform's metaverse for a two-week limited run from May 17 to May 31.
This virtual space is actually a counterpart of a current physical installation called the Gucci Garden Archetypes, which is ongoing in Florence, Italy, The Verge reported. These virtual and real-world experiences have a series of themed rooms, such as "Tokyo tribe" or "urban romanticism," all to pay tribute to the fashion house's creative director Alessandro Michelle's advertising work and to mark Gucci's 100th anniversary.
'Roblox' Gucci Garden Experience: What to Expect
Entering the digital version of the Gucci Garden experience, users will see their avatars turn into a mannequin--albeit neutral, which means these humanoid-shaped mannequins will have no gender or age. As they explore each space, the transformed avatars will be able to "absorb elements of the exhibition" and retain fragments from their spaces, and eventually become "one-of-a-kind" Gucci-minted creations, Hypebeast noted in a report.
The virtual experience emphasizes a person's quest for individuality, as users begin their journeys as mannequins to symbolize their "wandering life like a black canvas" yet eventually determining that they are "one among many, yet wholly unique."
'Roblox' Gucci Garden Gaming Environment
The gaming environment leverages on recent developments on the "Roblox" game engine, taking users to a highly dynamic array of environments that they can cross as blank "genderless" and "ageless" mannequins that visually evolve as users go from one virtual room to another. These rooms get their inspiration from various Gucci campaigns in Michelle's past six years with the global fashion house.
In a Tech Crunch interview, Gucci Chief Marketing Officer Robert Triefus praised "Roblox' for creating not only an exceptional virtual experience, but also developing it at so short a time. "Hats off to Roblox, scale came quickly," Triefus said. He added that while it had taken them 100 years to build the Gucci brand, "Roblox" took only 100 days to build something as spectacular.
Triefus added that Gucci intends to depend more on digital platforms as a way for pushing and keeping a fashion brand that promotes inclusion.
Roblex Gucci Items: Avatars for Sale
In addition to their partnership with Roblox, Gucci had also gone into a special alliance with startup Genies to style user avatars, as the market for digital items are currently flourishing.
The virtual "Roblox" Gucci Garden, in addition, will sell limited-edition avatar items inspired by its IRL counterpart experience in Florence.
"Roblox," on the other hand, expressed its satisfaction in this successful partnership with Gucci. Company executive Christine Wootton told Tech Crunch in a separate interview that working with Gucci had been "very special" due to the fact that the fashion brand had taken the time to fully understand their brand and what message they want to send to their community.
In order to visit the "Roblox" Gucci Garden, visit their website for more info.
