Evolutionary design features of virtual fashion brand collections: a three-year analysis in the Metaverse era

This study aimed to investigate the evolutionary design features in recent virtual fashion brand collections, analysing 314 design images from leading brands, such as Auroboros, Tribute, Republiqe, The Fabricant, and RTFKT. The analysis classified key design elements–colour, silhouette, texture, and textile patterns–into three phases: embryonic, transitional, and expansion. Findings revealed that the embryonic phase prioritises symbolising brand identities and goals as main design elements. The transitional phase marked a shift toward increased collaboration and experimental designs in response to emerging trends. In the expansion phase, collections shifted away from foundational design elements, displaying mature aesthetics and greater collaboration. These findings identify the evolutionary design features of virtual fashion in the Metaverse era and highlight insights into its consistency with contemporary fashion sensibilities. This research contributes to establishing a crucial knowledge base for research into the development of affective design systems, addressing consumer emotional requirements in virtual fashion design.