Meet the Eyewear Brands Entering the Metaverse
The metaverse is constantly expanding. As we see more users dip their toes into the pool of virtual reality, it’s no surprise that a number of industries are fighting for a cut of the profit.
From game developers to high fashion brands, the metaverse market is set to be worth a whopping $679 billion by 2030. As more ecommerce giants move their stores onto a virtual platform, AR-generated fitting rooms and Gucci-designed customisable clothing will lead the digital world forward.
As over 500 brands invest in platforms like Fortnite and Decntraland in 2023, eyewear could be the metaverse’s next biggest thing. We’ve had Gucci handbags and Balenciaga hoodies, but how about a pair of Ray Ban’s to finish off the look?
Let’s have a closer look at some of the eyewear brands entering the metaverse.
Brand New Vision
One eyewear brand entering the metaverse in 2023 is Brand New Vision. After raising $4 million in their newest funding round from Animoca Brands, the specs retailer is ready for a new digital adventure.
Releasing their newest NFT collection, called ‘The Family of Gs’, the product drop aims to target the fashion industry in a Web3 space.
(Image Souce: BNV)
BNV believe that their NFT wearables will open doors for consumers. Following in the footsteps of the Gucci 10KTF wearables, the brand hopes their NFT collection will be bought and displayed within a number of metaverse-powered platforms.
After already entering Decentraland and a number of other gameplay-based platforms, consumers can customise their avatars with BNV glasses, which aid them in earning tokens while attending events!
Woodys
Eyeglasses brand Woodys has become the first specs manufacturer to release sunglasses into the metaverse.
Diving into Web3 with their newest NEON-G NFT wearables, their digital sunglasses collection is made up of three boldly coloured, futuristic designs.
“NEON-G is our first NFT collection designed for the metaverse, only available through OpenSea”, Woodys revealed. “We started our dive into the WEB3 with the Neon-G NFTs launch, venturing into a new digital world. And this is only the beginning. An innovative brand experience halfway between the physical and the digital worlds.”
Woodys has also released three digital artworks, available for purchase on the Open Space platform, alongside their limited edition sunglasses designs.
(Image Source: Woodys)
The campaign aims to blend retro and futuristic styles while still remaining trendy within a Gen Z market. The brand’s aim is to get its name noticed within the digital arena before moving further into creating more platform-based virtual accessories for online consumers.
NEON-G frames have since been recognised and nominated for the SILMO D’OR awards, which crowns the most cutting-edge optical brand on an international level.
Ray-Ban
One of the most well-known eyeglasses brands has also dipped its toe into the digital world. After partnering with tech experts at Meta, Ray-Ban has released its first AR-powered glasses, called Ray-Ban Stories.
While these specs may not be in the metaverse, they are the closest fashion brand yet to create a physical product that could one day blend the virtual and real world.
So what are Ray-Ban Stories all about? Manufactured with the traditional sunglasses style in mind, Ray-Ban Stories can capture real-life moments using a 5MP camera, take shots using Facebook Assistant voice commands and transmit sound to connect a user to a call in seconds.
“At Facebook Reality Labs, our mission is to build tools that help people feel connected anytime, anywhere. We see virtual and augmented reality as the next computing platform – with humans placed squarely at the centre,” says Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. “Like today’s computers and smartphones, AR will be useful while also enabling us to transcend the physical distance between people and connect through social presence – the feeling that you’re right there with another person, no matter where in the world they happen to be.”
These physical wearables will continue to transform the way we connect in the real world, bridging a path to the metaverse. Ray-Ban stories may only be the first AR-infused model, but with time the tech behind fashion wearables will get smarter.
“Ultimately, the most common form factor for consuming three-dimensional and spatial content will be some sort of a single wearable that combines augmented reality and virtual reality,” states Amy LaMeyer, WXR Fund partner, “Meta knows that we’re all going to shift to this combination space, and this is the next step on how we’re going to interact with technology. We’re going to get to this point where it ends up hands-free more and more.”
What’s next for eyewear in the metaverse?
“This is an exciting time to be working on the metaverse,” Claims Zuckerberg “We are investing in this because we believe in the future.”
As more eyewear brands make their journey onto popular platforms such as Sandbox and Roblox, the opportunities are endless for NFT wearables, as well as physical AR/VR-infused glasses that blend fashion with technology.
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