Renan Pacson enters the metaverse with his collection ‘Meta Filipina’ (Sabong News)

After its successful digital leap in 2021, the Panasonic Manila Fashion Festival (PMFF) opens the season of style this year with its 13th edition under the theme “Redefined,” as it continues its mission of spotlighting the best of Filipino fashion through its foray into the virtual world. “We no longer identify ourselves as a fashion runway event,” PMFF says. “With the recent digital transformation wave in the fashion industry, we redefined ourselves to become the first Filipino fashion platform using digital solutions to connect designer, brand, supplier, factory, retail partner, fashion students, and fashion coalitions. The goal is to provide a platform for everyone in the industry to come together and build a unified foundation for the Philippine fashion industry.” Staying true to that mission, the PMFF opened its Day 1 exploring an “uncharted territory” in the Philippine fashion landscape, the metaverse. In collaboration with Z-emotion, a platform generating 3D virtual garments, Renan presents his collection dubbed “Meta Filipina.” “The organizers of PMFF approached me to partner with a Korean software company called Z-emotion, which developed a 3D software, particularly for the fashion industry called Z-weave. I have been receiving one on one tutorials from them since late last year,” Renan told Manila Bulletin Lifestyle in a . “Making 3D clothes also led me in customizing my own avatars so I had to learn the basics of Daz3D and currently taking online courses on fundamentals of Blender and see which suits my needs and patience better.” Watching “Meta Filipina” show is like seeing a scene from the movie “Ready Player One” with its dark dystopian setting. Bringing life into the scene is Renan’s neon-tinted virtual garments. Urban pieces are worn by digital mannequins. But to present their movements the designs walked on their own, giving a view of how the pants flow and how the tops are in motion without muses. One of Renan’s top looks is a pink crop top adorned with bee embellishments paired with what seems to be distress pants, a look that is serving a major Maddy Perez vibe from “Euphoria” Another is a red frock with a graphic art featuring his rendered avatar and his latest logo design, setting the tone of the whole collection. “It is like stepping into a whole new world with everything happening right in front of you without having to leave the comforts of your own home,” he said. “There is so much to learn and explore, and it is all very exciting for me!”