The Korea Herald

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[Exclusive] MCM to open flagship store in Lotte’s metaverse next week

By Choi Si-young

Published : Oct. 31, 2024 - 18:13

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MCM (above) and Givenchy stores on Lotte’s metaverse platform Caliverse. (Choi Si-young/The Korea Herald) MCM (above) and Givenchy stores on Lotte’s metaverse platform Caliverse. (Choi Si-young/The Korea Herald)

Luxury fashion and leather goods company MCM plans to launch its metaverse flagship store on a platform powered by Lotte Innovate as early as Nov. 7, joining global luxury brands tapping into the virtual world with a digital second life.

MCM products can be purchased directly on the platform Caliverse once a market develops, according to sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

“Initially, we will link users interested in buying to the official MCM website. We’ll see how that pans out,” Kim Dong-kyu, CEO of Caliverse, a subsidiary of Lotte Innovate, told The Korea Herald.

Kim added that talks with other luxury brands either have already taken place or are underway to set up their Caliverse flagship stores, noting his team recently met with Louis Vuitton officials in Paris. Givenchy, a subsidiary of LVMH, which also controls Louis Vuitton, has a cosmetics store on Caliverse.

“The metaverses we’ve seen so far in the market have largely been disappointing because they were not as real as people had expected,” Kim said, describing the kind of hyperrealism on Caliverse as unmatched.

A Caliverse experience means being able to see tiny details such as stitches and patterns on clothes, something other metaverse platforms have not been able to deliver, according to Kim.

“If the size needs fixing, you change your avatar to your measurement,” Kim added, showing how the adjustment could be done in seconds.

Caliverse, which opened to the public in late August, expects to set up 24 “planets" starting with “New Earth” -- where the MCM store will open. Tomorrowland Planet, featuring electronic dance music, will open on the same day. K-pop Planet and Game Planet will launch in the first half of next year.

MCM store on Lotte’s metaverse platform Caliverse. (Caliverse) MCM store on Lotte’s metaverse platform Caliverse. (Caliverse)