IL METAVERSO E LA DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION NEL SETTORE DELLA MODA

In recent years, the fashion industry has undergone a major change. As with many other industries, the so-called digital transformation, coupled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, has triggered a momentous revolution, particularly within corporate organizations. Many companies in the industry, driven by the need to engage with their audiences beyond physical spaces and to build connections with younger generations, have begun to establish a presence in digital spaces. The years 2020 and 2021, in particular, saw tremendous revenue growth for major gaming companies, with 2021 being recognized as the year of the metaverse. In this context—marked by significant changes in the perception of spaces and a growing focus on sustainability—traditional fashion houses gradually began investing in and occupying metaverse platforms. At the same time, new fashion houses emerged that were fully dedicated to creating digital fashion. This thesis, which consolidates three years of research, observations, and studies, aims to explore the metaverse phenomenon in the fashion industry and its role in the industry's transformation. Based on three hypotheses developed in the following chapters, we seek to understand the phenomenon and its managerial implications while paving the way for future organizational and multidisciplinary studies.