Press Release | International Fashion School Integrating Metaverse
Istituto Marangoni Miami, The Miami School of Fashion & Design, is announcing its partnership with ZEPETO, an app and social media platform where users personalize avatars and create virtual worlds.
Zepeto Studio, which has previously partnered with Gucci and Louboutin, a virtual economy platform that allows people to create and sell digital items, will empower Istituto Marangoni Miami students to launch a fashion collection as part of the classes on product development during the 2021 Fall Semester. Stephen Iacullo, IMM Campus Director, says, “This is an extremely cutting-edge partnership between Fashion and Tech. Istituto Marangoni Miami is the forerunner in doing innovative partnerships with different industries. We take pride in partnering up with companies to push the future of fashion”.
The School is outlining a roadmap for fashion education that challenges students to re-think fashion and stay connected in a natural and virtual world. Fashion students are experimenting with new learning formats, including upcycling materials for new pieces, reshaping their design process with 3D garment simulation, and now creating fashion styles in a virtual environment.
“Our partnership with Istituto Marangoni Miami will be one of our first collaborations with the academic world, and we’re very excited to invite future fashion designers into the metaverse.” – Rudy Lee—Chief Strategy Officer at ZEPETO. The partnerships will involve a virtual map of Istituto Marangoni Miami’s campus. It is a dream space for avatars to explore and play in its 7-floor luxury building in the heart of the Miami Design District.
Hakan Baykam, IMM President and CEO, explains the benefits of this partnership for the students, saying, “We are witnessing Miami’s transformation into a fashion hub, and we are preparing the next generation of fashion leaders to revolutionize the industry. In partnership with Zepeto, we are opening doors to a new level of experience for our students, consumers, and brands.” As part of this effort, the two companies will provide a scholarship award, offering hundreds of users the chance to participate in a fashion contest and kickstart their fashion career at Istituto Marangoni Miami.
Francis Martinez, IMM Director of Corporate Partnerships, highlights the significance of this collaboration, saying, “It is fascinating to witness companies uniting in an era where user experience holds more value than a label. The extension of 3D fashion items is revolutionizing how brands measure the success of their collections, from sourcing to manufacturing and beyond. Could this be the tool that the fashion supply chain needs to combat fast fashion?” Martinez said.
