JAKARTA - Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc. is now launching a digital clothing store where users can buy designer clothes for their avatars. This announcement was made directly by Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Friday, June 17.
"Virtual outfits designed by fashion brands Balenciaga, Prada and Thom Browne will be available for purchase," Zuckerberg said, speaking in a live video stream with Instagram's head of fashion.
A Meta spokesperson said their products will be priced between 2.99 and 8.99 US dollars (Rp 44 thousand and Rp 13 thousand), much cheaper than the original clothes made by the designers. The Matinee Prada ostrich skin bag, for example, retails for 10,700 US dollars (Rp 158 million).
Zuckerberg said he hopes to build the store into an open marketplace where developers can create and sell a variety of digital apparel.
Avatars have emerged as one of the Meta ways to connect user identities on Facebook, Instagram and other services. This is because it increasingly binds platforms together and leads to building a deep “metaverse” of a shared, interconnected digital world where users can come together.
For virtual reality headset users, Meta sets up avatars for playing video games, taking gym classes and participating in conference calls. But initially this digital outfit will only be available on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger.
Meta also redesigned its virtual reality avatar last year to be more expressive and three-dimensional, then made it available on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger starting in January.
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