of proximity to future starstudded performances and rising digital property prices .

The music industry has historically had a difficult relationship with technology and disruption so to see WMG lean-in to the possibilities of the metaverse is hugely encouraging . Artists across the company ’ s labels - including Lizzo , Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars - are sure to benefit .

Global music festivals are also getting in on the act this year , with Coachella auctioning lifetime tickets for its California-based music and arts festival as NFTs .

The 10 auctioned NFT digital keys also offered lifetime access to all future Coachella-produced virtual experiences , plus unique physical experiences for 2022 like front-row views at the Coachella Stage , lifetime Safari camping , or a dinner prepared by a professional chef in the Rose Garden .

In the fashion event world , designers are working with technologists to twin their catwalk collections with digital wearables , with a view to making high-end fashion more accessible .

Serbian designer , Roksanda worked with this year ’ s London Fashion Week headline sponsor Clearpay to create a ‘ demicouture finale look ’ from her catwalk show in the form of a purchasable NFT .

Working together with the Institute of Digital Fashion , the wearable debuted as part of the runway showcase and an Augmented Reality ( AR ) function on Instagram allowed visitors to virtually try-on the NFT .

Alongside last month ’ s New York Fashion Week , designer Jonathan Simkhai showcased his Autumn Winter 2022 digital

wearables collection as part of an online event produced by Everyrealm and Blueberry Entertainment .

The event saw models , influencers , celebrities , and journalists among the VIP guests , who appeared via personalised avatars dressed in Jonathan Simkhai ensembles .

Eleven of Simkhai ’ s new season looks were digitally reimagined for the metaverse a day ahead of his seasonal in-person catwalk show , making the real-world designer brand “ the first ever to show its Fall / Winter 2022 digital wearables collection ahead of their physical counterparts .”

Everyrealm , a ‘ metaverse realestate investor and developer ’ then hosted an NFT sale of select wearables from the collection from 16 February .

From 24-27 March 2022 , metaverse platform , Decentraland is hosting its first Metaverse Fashion Week , with designer labels and visitors able to virtually experience fashion shows , attend after-parties , and buy and wear digital clothing directly from catwalk avatars .

With Hugo being one of the first brands to announce its participation , Decentraland ’ s event offers an early preview into how the fashion metaverse could evolve alongside traditional fashion week events .

Fashion brands such as Gucci and Balenciaga have in the past , worked with Fortnite creator , Epic Games to build immersive digital worlds in Creative Mode , as well as on Roblox .

Moreover , the likes of Nike and Jimmy Choo have been experimenting with NFTs to allow gamers to own authentic virtual footwear and have the

items digitally verified and recorded as being rare , unique and collectable .

Elsewhere this year , metaverse experimentation either replaced or supported exhibition booths at the Consumer Electronics Show ( CES ) in Las Vegas .

Procter & Gamble for example , launched a BeautySPHERE metaverse experience in partnership with London ’ s Royal Botanic Gardens , Kew . Users could meander through a gamified virtual tour of the gardens to learn about ingredients and the company ’ s sustainability initiatives .

Samsung meanwhile showcased existing products fit for the future via a ‘ My House ’ metaverse experience , accessible to CES attendees through the Zepeto app .

Visitors to ‘ My House ’ could explore a white picket-fenced virtual home featuring a vacuum you could walk around with , an AirDresser that dry-cleans and straightens clothes , plus curved monitors and rotating TVs ( presumably for scrolling social media vertically or watching Netflix horizontally ).

Arguably , these metaverse

‘ walk-through ’ experiences are more engaging than an exhibition booth and could even replace physical brand showrooms in a few short years . But they still only represent embryonic potential for the development of digital worlds .

Will consumers really only want ‘ real-world ’ experiences in the metaverse ? Or will they be drawn more towards brands and events that turn the impossible upside down and inside out , until it becomes possible in a virtual space ?

As with most product evolution , historians will no doubt look back on 2022 and give a wry smile to these early metaverse concepts , use-cases and experimentations . They may even discover early NFTs and showcase them in a metaverse museum , located somewhere o ff - w o r l d .

Historians will certainly wonder why during the Super Bowl half-time ad break in 2022 , Meta thought an old animatronic dog would persuade people to step into new digital worlds . If you ’ re reading this from the 22nd or 23rd century , know that we all questioned the same thing too .