IoDF: What Happened to the Metaverse?

Leanne Elliott Young 8.1 and Cattytay 8.1 avatar wearing Apple Vision Pro

Apple, in its infinite wisdom, decided that if we're going to live in a digital x physical unison, we might as well do it in style. Consumers signed up at a record breaking rate, simultaneously screaming and wailing on the day of the release.

Vision Pro isn't just a headset; it's become a fashion statement catapulting social feeds to be full of cyborg chic content. The look is bloody ridiculous as you nipple twist the air, attempting to navigate the functionalities, but it’s caught on, and there is no shame.

For the tech world, it’s a step into the dream of spatial computing. CEO of Spatial Labs, Iddris Sandu, recently whispered sweet nothings about spatial computing, promising a future where digital and physical are within a seamless embrace. "We've hit a computational bottleneck," what seems like a fever dream has now become the future where computers have been procreated into the world around us.

<em>Institute of Digital Fashion [IoDF] Catty 8.1 avatar within Clo software</em> — *Institute of Digital Fashion [IoDF] Catty 8.1 avatar within Clo software*

Spatial computing allure of 5th-generation tech promises to launch us into a future where AR isn't just a party trick or a pop up at the side of fashion week, but a way of life. Imagine a world where your digital attire adjusts to your mood, dissolving mood rings all together. Feeling sexy? Your digital threads glimmer and pulse to the same thrust as your slut drops. Cathy Hackl, the metaverse's fairy godmother, assures us that the metaverse's obituary is premature. "The metaverse isn't dead; it's just nursing a hangover from all the hype," she declares. As we rub our bleary eyes, sipping on the digital detox tea, we realize the builders are still aboard the hype train. Right now however, they are laying down the tracks for a future where the metaverse and reality will coexist without stepping on each other's digital toes.

Where does this leave our beloved fashion industry? Caught between a digital rock ( NFT ) and a hard place; fashion is having an existential crisis. Is it possible to pivot from the metaverse's virtual catwalks to a future where digital fashion isn't just a cringe-worthy attempt at relevance? We're watching with bated breath, as the industry attempts to shake off the awkwardness of digital try-ons that resemble a poorly coded twerk rather than a seamless fitting session.

The integration of technology in fashion extends beyond the realms of virtual reality and AR. The recent launch of Apple's Vision Pro underscores the potential for wearable technology to enhance our daily lives, blending the boundaries between the digital and the physical.

Moreover, the democratization of both fashion design and production through digital tools like CLO, Blender and Ai heralds a new era of creative innovation. What before would have cost a full studio team’s workload now resides at your fingertips. In true democratic form, what used to be reserved for the privileged post-graduate few who have the resources to fund a studio and team, now allows those with an informal education to build and launch brands with digital aids.

Institute of Digital Fashion [IoDF]; Leanne Elliott Young, Co-founder CEO, Cattytay Co-founder CD, teaching IRL x URL Academy Catty 8.1 avatar within Clo software Asia 3d creation

Is it possible to pivot from the metaverse's virtual catwalks to a future where digital fashion isn't just a cringe-worthy attempt at relevance?

Kay Kwok's use of these technologies to create "gravity-defying sculptures" at London Fashion Week exemplifies the boundless possibilities that digital tools offer to designers. This shift towards digital creation not only fosters sustainability by reducing overproduction, but also empowers a new generation of designers to bring their visions to life without the constraints of traditional manufacturing processes.

The genius occurs when we have unison between the community, creators and tech, eventually prompting consumers to view technology as a tool, not a trend. I think this needs to be a slogan t-shirt so more creators get on board, and queue a revival from Henry Holland!

<em>Images courtesy of Kay Kwok</em> — *Images courtesy of Kay Kwok*

A wider glimmer of a use case for building digital x physical from a luxury house, came Shreya Tyagi (Creative Technologist at Christian Dior Couture):

“One of the biggest factors for success has been hiding the tech and making the experience as seamless and intuitive as possible. This is usually complexified at an enterprise level because of the initial fear surrounding the use of emerging tech, coupled with the lack of in-house experts who understand how to translate it in a tangible way that also aligns with the DNA of heritage fashion maisons.”

Dior, B33 SNEAKER (LIMITED AND NUMBERED EDITION)

The NFC-chipped, ‘encrypted key’ version of Kim Jones B33 trainers championed the use case of near-field communication chips, NFC chips. Sidenote, I really can't believe Balenciaga missed that, those Lays bags should have had NFC Chips! Seriously though, this screams aloud the opportunity for creative individuals to start playing. More experts are needed, so as a creative or a designer, start using and playing with tech, it's a tool to really start having within your YSL tool belt.

The post-metaverse era presents an opportunity for the fashion industry to recalibrate its teenage perspective on digital innovation. I feel it's the creators that will steal the show, the opportunity is there as they start embracing and expanding the tech toolbox, adding Ai, spatial computing, and using advanced wearable technologies like Apple's Vision Pro and jump into the design / content-creator tools with both feet first.

Fashion can redefine its relationship with technology. This new chapter is not about discarding the metaverse or mourning the hype nose dive, but about building upon its foundation to create a more integrated, sustainable, inclusive and democratized digital fashion future for the real world, one NFC chip at a time.

Culture

The Club Is Coming to the Stage

We enter and make our way to what is approximately front left of the DJ booth, where we’re accustomed to dancing at clubs in New York. “So is this a techno club or a dance performance?” yells an uncertain participant in my boyfriend’s ear. He laughs, bouncing along to Ben UFO, and yells back, “It’s both!” The club has long been a hot topic in European contemporary dance but it is only now making its way into New York performance venues, largely through transatlantic tours. R.O.S.E. follows recent examples like Michele Rizzo’s HIGHER xtn. at MoMA PS1 (May 2024), (LA)HORDE’s Room with a View at NYU Skirball (October 2023), and Gisèle Vienne’s Crowd at BAM (October 2022).

Do these performances compromise the club’s spirit — a space idealized for its anonymity, dark lighting, and thundering music? The notion of the club as a utopian escape is admittedly just that — an ideal — because of how its intense conditions can create barriers to entry. Still, the club remains sacred for many, a place to forge connections and embrace an alternative state of being. Looking at how performances transfer this spirit to new settings reveals what aspects of the club are essential and those that aren’t.

Sharon Eyal, R.O.S.E. 2024. Photography by Stephanie Berger, courtesy of Park Avenue Armory.

Eyal’s dancers make their entrance. The lighting shifts from roving blue to yellow spotlights as Ben UFO’s tracks transition to more melodic beats. Clad in deconstructed lace Dior lingerie with dark red tears painted on their faces, the dancers move cautiously in a tightly maintained pack, slicing paths through the horde with hoof-like steps and jerky leg extensions. After around ten minutes of this controlled choreography, the dancers vanish as the lighting shifts back to blue and Ben UFO picks up his dubby beats. The club, as we knew it, resumes. This cycle of tightly executed movements and free-flowing club-goers repeats several times, each time emboldening the dancers to plunge further into the crowd.

Clubbing in a building once built for the U.S. Army National Guard on Manhattan’s Upper East Side turns out to be surprisingly successful — at least for the audience. What starts as an awkward, scattered group searching for their non existent seats gradually gels into an engaged, bouncing crowd that erupts in cheers each time the dancers enter and exit. Performance patrons who might never step foot in a club find themselves swept up in its potential for communion, moving in unison with fellow ticket holders. But it isn’t until the very end of R.O.S.E. that the dancers finally break free from Eyal’s choreography and join the fired-up audience in a brief moment of improvisatory movement with the music. By keeping her dancers at arm’s length, Eyal seems more interested in the club as a backdrop for her signature movement style than wholly as a space with meaningful stories to be told.

Michele Rizzo, HIGHER xtn. 2024. Photography by Cameron Kelly courtesy of MoMA PS1.

Back in May, I attended Wire Festival, a multiday electronic music event at Knockdown Center that had no shortage of organically united dancefloors. It attracted a crowd of seasoned ravers who were eager to celebrate the start of spring as they danced alongside DJs who played well into the daylight. I left Wire in an afternoon daze to see Michele Rizzo’s HIGHER xtn. at MoMA PS1. My sleepless euphoria only deepened as the performance unfolded, starting with a lone dancer who looked plucked out of the festival.

The dancer, dressed in sneakers, baggy jeans, and a tight tank top, shuffled slowly into the gallery, perfectly in sync with the looping bars of an understated electronic melody. Soon, other dancers, clad in the same staple rave uniform, joined him — each having traveled from Europe for the U.S. museum debut of HIGHER xtn., which premiered at the Stedelijk in Amsterdam in 2018 and quickly became a fixture at kunsthalles and festivals across the continent. As the score’s tempo climbed, the choreography locked into a 16-count sequence, which the dancers executed with precise synchrony. They remained intensely focused, never making eye contact with each other, as they sought release in the endless repetition of synthesized beats. Once the dancers reached their limit, they stopped the sequence and exited the gallery, one by one.

HIGHER xtn. used the focused daylight of the gallery to highlight the meditative release found in the repetitive movements that dominate dark dancefloors. The performance’s restraint brought more consistency and intentionality than Eyal’s all-encompassing club construction in R.O.S.E. Yet both performances offer enticing entry points into club culture for those who may not frequent raves. Rizzo’s ecstatic, hypnotic repetitions reveal how the club can mirror other meditative practices, while Eyal’s interpolation of performance and clubbing helped hesitant audience members blossom by the end. Still, both works overlook one of the most underappreciated aspects of clubbing — its potential for individual expression. HIGHER xtn.’s pristine uniformity especially risks promoting the outdated techno trope that there’s a “right” way to dance to electronic music.

Maybe this shortcoming is, in fact, a benefit. For habitual ravers jaded by one too many sunrise sets, it’s a reminder to return to the club with more intention. If you pause and peer through the darkness, you’ll see hundreds of people moving to the same beat, each with their own subtle variations. This collective choreography is a ready-made spectacle that doesn’t need validation in a theater or museum. And when the music shifts slightly, you can watch the ripple effect sweep through the crowd while feeling the new beat in your body. Maybe this small bit of magic is best left on the dance floor.

Culture

Real Slick, Jack: Psyche Organic Arrives in New York

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Culture

Porsche SCOPES Brings Art, Music, and Design to Toronto

The festival was a full immersion into Toronto’s dynamic creative energy. Day one set the tone with DJ collective Living Room, followed by an experimental performance by Claire Rousay that captivated the crowd. Jewelry designer Steff Eleoff unveiled her Porsche Taycan 4S art car installation—a bold fusion of automotive and wearable art inspired by her Sedona ring—while OVO Sound’s Naomi Sharon and DVSN wrapped up the night with powerful, genre-defying performances.

We witnessed SCOPES Toronto bridging underground and mainstream with day two’s lineup. DJ Korea Town Acid’s set paved the way for Angelphroot and Dameer’s debut of BASSMATI, a track blending South Asian influences with bass-driven sounds. Chippy Nonstop’s return to Toronto and Richie Hawtin’s extended set were milestones of the evening, proving that the city’s underground scene has a global resonance.

The final day featured standout performances from local pianist Harrison, Indigenous artist Tia Wood, and hip-hop visionary Sean Leon, who elevated his set with a live choir. Moonshine Collective’s film and musical performance explored themes of African utopia, showcasing art’s power to bridge culture and technology. Rising Toronto star SadBoi, who paused her tour to perform at SCOPES, further underscored the festival’s commitment to nurturing local talent.

Throughout the weekend, we experienced installations from artists like Mitsu Mitsu and culinary creations from Bar Mordecai, capturing the multifaceted creativity Porsche SCOPES brought to Toronto. This milestone 10th edition, open to all, allowed Toronto’s vibrant arts scene to thrive, underscoring SCOPES’ mission to celebrate local talent while connecting it to a global audience.

office had the chance to connect with rising star SadBoi ahead of the event. In our conversation, she shared insights into her creative journey and reflected on what performing and growing up in Toronto means to her and her work.

How are you, and where are you at right now? You told me you were traveling.

Um, I’m good, I’m feeling really good right now. I’m traveling back to Salt Lake City. I had a show yesterday in Seattle. I’m on tour right now with Coco and Claire.

How is touring life treating you? Do you like it?

I love being on the road. To be honest, I feel like I don’t know—like I’ve had good experiences and bad ones—but this time it’s really fun, especially with the people I’m surrounded by. It’s also the longest tour I’ve been on; I have about four more weeks to go. I’m trying not to think about how many days I have left.

Do you feel homesick?

Yes, because when I start thinking about how many days are left, I start to miss my dogs. I’ve just been trying to stay in the moment—I don’t even know what day of the week it is, to be honest with you.

Oh, sweet! What are your dogs’ names?

Jillian and Winston. I know, they’re crazy names.

You’ll be performing at SCOPES in Toronto, which is where you grew up. Do you feel like the crowd is different when you perform in Toronto compared to other cities?

Yes, I mean, Toronto just feels different because it’s home. Every time I come back to perform, something in my career has changed. The last time I performed in Toronto, people just wanted to have a good time, and I’m excited to perform back home again to see everyone’s reactions. I know it’s going to be different from the last time. It’s exciting to see your own growth. Toronto is a tough crowd, though. If we’re with you, we’re really with you.

So, they’re super picky? You have to gain their respect, or what is it?

I think Toronto people are in their own world, but when something really connects with them, they’ll lose themselves in the moment. But it takes something to bring them out of that. Toronto crowds are tough because even if they like you, they won’t show it outright until they’re really vibing with you.

It’s like a vibe check, right?

Exactly. They’ll enjoy your performance, but it’s hard to explain. When people visit Toronto, they often say, “Oh, you guys are so nice,” and I’m like, “I don’t think we’re that nice, we’re just polite.” Like, you can walk down the street, and no one will say anything, but it’s just our mannerisms.

You mentioned Toronto can have a moody energy, especially at night, and that the underground night scene there really inspires you. Can you talk more about what makes Toronto's nightlife so influential for you?

Absolutely, Toronto has this unique energy that comes alive at night. Similar to New York, there are the popular clubs everyone knows, but you need to find your niche—the people who know where the real parties are. I remember going to raves in high school yards, sneaking in because I wasn’t old enough. Events like Baby, Jerk!, and Yes Yes Y’all were pivotal, exposing me to DJs blending dancehall with EDM—something I hadn’t seen before. Toronto nightlife is moody and intense, but when everyone’s out, it’s like the whole city is alive.