Meta debuted its first-ever mixed reality drag show at a star-studded event in London on 7 September.
Drag Race UK stars Blu Hydrangea and Tia Kofi delivered show stopping performances alongside well-known drag king Adam All.
The looks featured at the immersive event were inspired by the metaverse and designed using a combination of virtual and augmented technologies.
The designers were Nwora Emenike, a queer, non-binary stylist, Sal Mohammed, a queer, genderfluid NHS worker and life coach who has a passion for drag and Christie Lau, a non-binary Central Saint Martins graduate whose work blends physical and digital fashion.
All three drag performers showed off their outfits as they walked the runway in front of a packed audience of fans.
Augmented reality technology was used to elevate the looks as it revealed a new digital version that came to life through impressive filters.
“The best thing about technology is that it brings everyone closer together,” Tia said. “During the pandemic, everybody had to get creative and use technology to stay in contact and keep drag alive. It would have been gorgeous if we could have done that in virtual reality, feeling like we were all together. That’s the future.”
The show was the culmination of Meta’s Queens of the Metaverse campaign, which aimed to showcase the new possibilities technology can offer design, creativity and self-expression.
Adam said that they are “passionate about anything that pushes boundaries in drag,” adding that queer people using technology to create content is important for visibility.
“Hopefully the future of drag will see more inclusivity and it’s wonderful to think that technology like the metaverse could play a part in improving the visibility of queer spaces and creatives,” he continued.
A number of high profile guests attended the event, including the entire cast of Drag Race UK’s fourth season, Nicole Scherzinger and Gok Wan.
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