The Rise of Metaverse Fashion in India
Once a sci-fi fantasy, the metaverse is now transforming the way we live, work—and dress. In this brave new world of pixels and possibilities, fashion has taken a leap beyond fabric and thread, entering a space where style is coded, not stitched. Welcome to the age of digital clothing and virtual style, where your avatar could be wearing a Sabyasachi saree dipped in NFT gold or strutting in a Manish Malhotra-designed cape coded into the metaverse.
India, often seen as a traditional powerhouse of textile heritage, is now making waves in this digital frontier. Indian designers, tech innovators, and fashion startups are not just participating—they’re leading.
The New Wardrobe: Digital-Only Fashion
At its core, metaverse fashion refers to digital clothing worn by avatars in virtual environments such as Decentraland, Roblox, or Meta’s Horizon Worlds. These garments don’t exist physically but are purchased, owned, and showcased like any luxury item—except they live in a virtual universe.
Big fashion houses like Gucci, Balenciaga, and Nike have already stepped into the metaverse, selling digital outfits, accessories, and even virtual sneakers. But India’s fashion scene is not far behind.
Indian Designers Breaking the Digital Mold
Manish Malhotra, a name synonymous with Bollywood glamour, became the first Indian designer to venture into the NFT space with his digital sketches turned into exclusive NFT collectibles. Partnering with WazirX, his NFT collection sold out in seconds, signaling the hunger for designer fashion in the digital realm. According to The Times of India, Malhotra’s move marks a pivotal moment for Indian fashion, blending couture with code.
Another innovator is Raghav Chopra, a Delhi-based fashion-tech entrepreneur who founded STYLI.FI, a platform dedicated to customizable digital avatars and fashion assets. Raghav’s virtual collections have been showcased in Decentraland’s Metaverse Fashion Week, a global event attended by millions. His platform even won the Startup India Innovation Award 2024 for tech-enabled creative industries, as reported by The Hindu.
Real-Life Indian Success Story: The Tale of Kajal Ahuja
One of the most inspiring Indian journeys in metaverse fashion is that of Kajal Ahuja, a 27-year-old digital fashion designer from Pune. With no formal background in fashion, Kajal began experimenting with 3D design tools like Clo3D and Blender during the lockdown. She uploaded her first virtual collection on Instagram under her brand “KĀ.YĀ.”
Her work caught the eye of a UK-based gaming company that commissioned her to create digital costumes for in-game characters. Soon after, her NFT collection “Neo-Tribal India”—a mix of Indian folk elements with futuristic silhouettes—was featured in Metaverse Fashion Week 2023.
Kajal’s work was recognized by Vogue India and she received the Digital Creator of the Year award at the 2024 India Fashion Digital Summit. Today, she mentors young designers and collaborates with VR developers to blend India’s cultural legacy with digital innovation.
Why the Metaverse Matters to Indian Fashion
India’s fashion industry has long grappled with issues of sustainability, high production costs, and limited global reach. The metaverse offers solutions:
- No Fabric Waste: Digital clothing leaves no textile footprint. It’s eco-conscious fashion at its peak.
- Wider Access: Designers from tier-2 and tier-3 cities can showcase their collections to a global audience without physical logistics.
- Cultural Representation: The metaverse gives Indian artisans and weavers a new canvas to reimagine traditions digitally—think phygital Banarasi NFTs.
A growing number of Indian educational institutes like NIFT Delhi and Pearl Academy are also integrating virtual fashion design and blockchain fundamentals into their curriculums, preparing the next generation for careers that blend fashion with the future.
Brands Riding the Virtual Wave
Homegrown labels are also stepping up. aastey, a sustainable fashion startup, recently launched a virtual try-on feature, allowing users to test styles on digital avatars before purchase. The company is now developing exclusive metaverse drops.
Similarly, Republique, a Bangalore-based fashion label, created a limited-edition digital saree collection inspired by AI-generated designs, which sold on Foundation as NFTs. Their designs were featured in Elle India, highlighting the brand’s innovative approach to Indian aesthetics.
Global Platforms, Indian Identity
India’s soft power lies in its diverse, vibrant design legacy. Metaverse platforms like Roblox and Zepeto are now flooded with Indian-themed skins, lehengas, turbans, and henna tattoos—many created by independent Indian artists and designers. These virtual assets are not just fashion statements; they’re cultural storytelling tools.
A notable example is Dhvani Sharma, a 19-year-old student from Jaipur, whose virtual “Rajasthani Princess” avatar pack went viral on Zepeto. The pack was downloaded over 2 million times globally and won her a Zepeto Creator Grant 2024, as reported by Hindustan Times.
What Lies Ahead
While digital fashion won’t replace physical garments anytime soon, the fusion of virtual style, AI design, and blockchain ownership is redefining fashion consumption. Experts predict the Indian virtual fashion industry could be worth ₹350 crore by 2027, driven by gaming, digital collectibles, and Web3-native fashion shows.
Brands, influencers, and even Bollywood stars like Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh are rumored to be exploring digital avatars and fashion NFT collaborations.
Final Stitch
Metaverse fashion isn’t just a trend—it’s a tectonic shift in how we view style, identity, and expression. And as the digital runway expands, Indian designers and creators are making sure they don’t just walk it—they own it.
So the next time you see someone flexing a Manish Malhotra lehenga in Decentraland, don’t be surprised—it’s not just a look, it’s a revolution in motion.
