Luxury hospitality group Oetker Collection has partnered with fashion gaming app Drest to allow players to style avatars at hotels in the metaverse. Jenny Southan reports
Following partnerships with luxury brands such as Gucci, Cartier, Prada, Valentino and NARS, who have collaborated with Drest to connect with its “highly engaged” gaming audience, Oetker Collection will allow players to style outfits to wear at its portfolio of luxury hotels.
The idea is that fashionistas can style supermodel avatars such as Precious Lee, Irina Shayk, Natalia Vodianova and Candice Huffine, and conduct virtual photo shoots with them in the app, against images of Oetker Collection properties such as Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, the Lanesborough, Le Bristol Paris and Eden Rock – St Barths.
Players then complete their runway-ready looks with help from hair stylist Sam McKnight and celebrity make-up artist Mary Greenwell. Drest sets daily challenges to style models in different photo shoot scenarios, with other players voting for their favourite.
Oetker Collection said in a statement: “Drest players take on the role of a stylist, putting high-fashion looks together for daily challenges using an unparalleled catalogue of current collections from over 250 of the world’s top brands.”
Adding: “Crucial to a player’s success in each photoshoot is their choice of location, as they select a backdrop most likely to help their photo stand out and win votes from the community.”
To begin their virtual journey, players will be transported to Le Bristol Paris for a series of special photoshoots inspired by Haute Couture Fashion Week. They will also have the opportunity to create a moodboard for their “stay” at the hotel, featuring special stickers such as Socrate, the cat in residence.
At Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, players can use the property’s swimming pool as one of the backdrops. Meanwhile, at the digital twin of the Lanesborough in London, players will be invited to dress as if attending a lunch at the hotel’s new restaurant, the Lanesborough Grill.
Exclusive challenges featuring other Oetker Collection hotels such as L’Apogée Courchevel, Brenners Park-Hotel and Spa in Baden-Baden, Eden Rock – St Barths, Jumby Bay Island in Antigua, Palácio Tangará in São Paulo, the Woodward in Geneva and Hotel La Palma in Capri, will follow throughout the year.
Lucy Yeomans, founder of Drest, says: “I am thrilled to collaborate with Oetker Collection and together usher in a new era for travel experiences in the metaverse. Oetker Collection’s beautiful properties, in some of the world’s most desirable locations, are truly iconic and synonymous with style and elegance, making them the perfect partner for this, Drest’s latest gaming adventure.”
Simon Neggers, senior vice-president of sales, marketing and communications for Oetker Collection, says: “We are delighted to partner with DREST on this exciting collaboration, marking our entry into the virtual world. It allows people to discover Oetker Collection hotels in a fun and immersive way and the interactive challenges truly bring the escapism and glamour of travel to life.”
Drest is the leading fashion styling mobile game with creativity, user-generated content, shopping, entertainment and philanthropy at its core. Founded in 2019 by Lucy Yeomans, the former editor-in-chief of Porter, Net-A-Porter and Harper’s Bazaar UK, Drest opens the “gamification” portal to the luxury fashion industry.
Featuring and working with over 250 luxury brands including Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Prada, Off-White, Loewe, Valentino, Cartier, Burberry and Fendi, Drest’s digital wardrobes is curated by both Farfetch and brands directly, enabling users to easily discover and shop the latest collections.
In 2020, DREST introduced some of the most forward-thinking runway names as supermodel avatars. As well as being digital fashion innovators, Natalia Vodianova, Precious Lee, Irina Shayk, Imaan Hammam and Candice Huffine are all advocates for vital charities and movements; as part of their partnership with Drest, the company has pledged to match 50 per cent of the revenue earned in game by the supermodels as charitable donations.