The future(s) of digital fashion in the metaverse An investigation into the potential future(s) of users’ experiences with digital fashion products in the metaverse in the year 2032.

The fashion industry is undergoing rapid digital transformation processes fueled by technological advancements, evolving consumer needs, and growing environmental pressures. In the face of the disruptive technological concepts as the metaverse (which can be defined as the next iteration of the current internet in the form of an interconnected network of three-dimensional virtual worlds), it is expected that the digital transformation processes will further accelerate and revolutionize many industries, the fashion industry being no exception. Therefore, the digitalization of the fashion combined with the dawn of the metaverse has the potential to provide the users with new means of experiencing clothing that could completely deviate from its conventional understanding. This study undertook to answer the research question ‘How could the metaverse impact users' experiences with digital fashion products in the year 2032?’ through scenario planning method, which can serve as a strategic tool for firms to plan for the uncertain future and help them operate in rapidly evolving markets. In this research, the four scenarios provided an answer to the research question through outlining four potential developments of how the future of digital fashion in the metaverse could unfold. The interviews with eleven experts in the metaverse-related and digital-fashion-related fields served as a primary source of data collection for developing the scenarios. The interviews were investigated through thematic analysis, which enabled identifying key stakeholders, trends, and uncertainties regarding the future of users’ experiences with digital fashion products in the metaverse. Thematic analysis revealed level of mass adoption and interoperability as determining, yet uncertain factors on which users' experiences could be highly dependent in ten years. The identified trends revealed that in the year 2032 users’ experiences could be shaped by the new contexts of uses of digital fashion products, new aesthetic possibilities, and new means of enhancing engagement with digital fashion products. The divergent character of scenarios revealed that users' experiences could differ significantly depending on how the future will unfold in terms of the level of mass adoption and interoperability in the metaverse.