Issue #104

Welcome to your weekly dose of TooXToo, this week featuring Decentraland’s “first ever” metaverse fashion week, Cadbury’s free chocolate pop up, Natalie Portman’s women’s football club, and Volvo partners with Starbucks to bring you EV charging alongside your cup of coffee…

Decentraland’s “first ever” metaverse fashion week

A digital fashion week? Yes, that is right, Decentraland are hosting the first ever metaverse fashion week. Brands including The Fabricant, amongst others will be exhibiting their highly anticipated collections in the digital space from the 24^th- 27^th March.

The virtual fashion week will feature multiple runway shows, pop-up shops, fashion experiences and after parties and will be kicked off by Selfridges with their meta-flagship store on the 23^rd March. The beauty of this new way of hosting a digital fashion show is that you do not have to be physically invited to attend…Instead, all members of the public can tune in, for free; Decentraland is making this space more accessible to people by shifting luxury fashion to the digital realm.

Giovanna Casimiro, head of Metaverse Fashion Week commented: “MVFW will be accessible to anyone and everyone across the globe (…) One of the drawbacks of traditional fashion shows is that they are too restrictive to the average person, almost always being invite-only".

During the event, watchers and users can scan a QR code to view a render of any item showcased and will be able to use their crypto-funds to purchase what they desire as NFT’s. Once bought, these items can then be worn on the buyer’s own avatar in the metaverse…

As Decentraland increasingly presents themselves in the digital realm it will be interesting to observe their impact in this space- in particular on the operation of fashion weeks in real, physical life. Will physical fashion weeks lose momentum now that a meta version facilitates a time and place for anyone and everyone to access luxury fashion?

Cadbury’s vegans mean tweets pop-up

The infamous chocolatiers, Cadbury’s have just opened a pop-up in Soho designed to make hater’s “eat their own words” … Sweet-toothed, choc-loving fans (or haters) can go along to the pop-up until the 26^th March, 4pm to grab a bar of plant-based heaven.

The Soho pop-up has been called the ‘Mean Tweetshop’ because it will be handing out bars of plant-based goodness with packaging that will have negative social media comments from vegan-sceptics printed on them. The brand hopes that in handing out a free bar to any customer that frequents their shop, they will be able to convert plant-based haters, into lovers.

The Mean Tweetshop will be visitable from 12-6pm and will stock two flavours: the Plant Bar Smooth Chocolate and the Plant Bar Smooth Chocolate with Caramel pieces. Some of the wrappers feature the words: "Vegan chocolate? Sounds grim," and others read: "Vegan chocolate is vile."

Michael Moore, Marketing Manager at Cadbury enthusing about the concept of this pop-up said: “The Mean Tweetshop is a true celebration of the Cadbury Plant Bar and we feel that this is a chocolate that anyone can enjoy, including the sceptics (…) We hope that some of those who have been quick to judge plant-based products are brave enough to come down…”

What better way to encourage consumers to “try before they buy” and convert any self-confessed vegan sceptics than this one-of-a-kind bold purple pop-up. Cadburys are using a whole shop based around a hatred for vegan chocolate to cleverly raise brand awareness for their newer vegan-sub brand.

Get ready to eat your own words, haters…

Head over to The One Off’s TIKTOK to come along with us to see it IRL...Watch here

Natalie Portman founds Angel City FC

Actor Natalie Portman has created an ownership group comprised of various Hollywood stars and athletes – founding a unique type of team. Portman’s new team is on track for success having already sold 16,000 season tickets.

Portman’s decision to found Angel City was inspired by her desire to shift football culture. The club’s co-owners include fellow actress Jessica Chastain as well as sporting icons Serena Williams and Billie Jean King. The founders’ collective aims are to empower women, and to redefine how football clubs operate-encouraging respect and inclusion in the world of football.

The actor admitted that though not being an avid sports fan herself, she was bothered that the top female players were underpaid when compared to their male counterparts. Passionately describing the club, Portman explained that Angel City is “Not just a football club. We’re a brand”.

From the star-studded founders to the community projects, events, and art shows that Angel City plan to incorporate into their brand, it’s obvious that their motives are to create and promote initiatives that will raise awareness for women’s equality in sports and inclusivity.

Is the future of football female? Or at least looking increasingly progressive thanks to Angel City FC- a brand and team dedicated to unapologetic optimism.

Volvo partners with Starbucks to bring you EV charging alongside your cup of coffee…

Starbuck’s and Volvo are collaborating to facilitate the growing sales of electric vehicles in the US by building an EV charging network that allows users to charge, and sip simultaneously.

The charging network will span 1350 miles from Seattle to Denver, Colorado- the brands predict that by the end of the year, approximately 60 DC fast EV chargers will be accessible at up to 15 Starbucks coffee shops along the mapped route.

Starbuck’s and Volvo are responding to the record high sales of hybrid vehicles reached in this last year; the surge in sales is set to continue with more and more eco-consumers switching from gas guzzling vehicles to EV. For Volvo the instalment of these charging points is key to facilitate them reaching their outlined goal of becoming a fully electric car company by 2030, that requires trust-worthy charging networks.

Starbuck’s is a match made in heaven for Volvo in their decision to embark on creating this colony of charging points because they already offer laidback environments where consumers can spend time relaxing with a drink, or snack. Now, consumers can continue to re-charge along their journey, whilst their EV’s do the same.