You could say I found my way to the metaverse as a gamer first, designer second.
I started playing games on Roblox back in 2013. The more I played, the more I grew interested in the development of the games, characters, and designs. So, I started learning how to use Blender, a modeling software for computer graphics, through YouTube tutorials.
In 2019, I finally took the plunge and made my first digital accessory — a top hat — through a scrappy combination of Blender and Photoshop. Over the next six months, I made one new digital accessory every day. That daily practice helped me learn the skills I use every day to create designs.
I got my first gig in 2020, when a brand messaged me on Twitter after seeing my designs in previous tweets. A few months later, I applied for a position as a user-generated-content creator on Roblox and landed the job. I've been working with them ever since.
In traditional fashion, there are often limits on how creative, innovative, or thought-provoking one can be with their designs. There's an expectation that the final product needs to abide by certain expectations or fit into current trends.
When it comes to digital fashion, though, the possibilities are boundless. You can simulate materials, test patterns, and even stitch without wasting real-world products. The radius of people I can reach — as an up-and-coming designer — is so much greater in the virtual world than real world.
Over the years, I've collaborated with celebrities like Karlie Kloss, Paris Hilton, and Elton John on personalized collections for the metaverse. I've also worked with brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Alo Yoga.
Certain brands I've worked with have asked me to create virtual replicas of their existing merchandise. Other times, I've been given a looser set of instructions — a general theme, idea, or an aesthetic — and asked to create design around that. In assignments like those, I often design pieces I would wear myself.
Digital fashion has already evolved from a cryptic concept to a familiar notion. It's hard to predict the kinds of developments that might happen in the next five years.
I see myself eventually creating traditional clothing from my metaverse designs — developing ideas, designing, and simulating pieces digitally before transforming then into tangible, wearable pieces.
Until then, you can find my designs in the virtual realm. Here's a closer look at a day in my life.