After refining our vision for the project, we chose to delve deeper into six haute couture brands for our virtual space. We used tools like Midjourney to visualize the potential environment and guide our creative process. 

We began ideating and visualizing the experience, deciding on a central main hub (Slide 7, left) to house the different haute couture brands. This hub would contain portals to themed spaces, making easy navigation crucial for showcasing these portals. 

To narrow the project's scope, we initially focused on exploring two brands: Louis Vuitton and Schiaparelli, before moving forward with greyboxing.

With Louis Vuitton and Schiaparelli as our chosen brands, we began designing rooms that embodied the essence of each fashion house.

Since it was our first time using game design software like Unity, our greyboxing process involved learning the best methods for constructing structures and implementing portals. Sam, who had a PC, concentrated on the Unity aspects, while Melissa, with her previous experience in Blender, explored 3D modeling techniques.

Sam utilized the Probuilder package in Unity to determine object placements, which would later be replaced by Melissa's models created in Blender and assets sourced from the Unity Store, Sketchfab and TurboSquid.

The two fashion houses possess distinct and powerful brand identities. Our goal was to create an environment that not only embodies the essence of each brand but also showcases our unique interpretation of Louis Vuitton and Schiaparelli. Each room reflects our personal vision, such as using organic architecture to highlight the surrealistic art of Schiaparelli. Additionally, we incorporated our own design perspectives by using Midjourney to generate innovative patterns.

Despite the differing styles of haute couture each brand represents, it was crucial to craft a cohesive experience that sets the tone for an immersive fashion environment. The organic nature of the central hub serves as a sophisticated and alluring space, inviting individuals to explore and engage with the world of fashion. Ultimately, it was imperative for us to create an experience where everyone is invited to participate in the narrative of fashion.

This stage included accumulating unity assets from furniture to materials that best fit these brands House Codes. From here we could further refine how we enjoyed how the space felt. 

Sourcing videos to play in each room as well as music for ambience in the main hub/lobby was important for us to create a sound for Augmented Threads and entry points of conversation for visitors to the world. This is where we started thinking about how the space could change with each Louis Vuitton or Schiaparelli season drop; both in the videos that are being displayed as well as the textures and look of the space.

After our Beta showcase, we continued working on updating and enhancing the world. In this iteration, we addressed various technical issues and glitches. We also began redesigning the room, incorporating new textures and assets from various sources. Inspired by the recent collaboration between Louis Vuitton and musician Tyler The Creator for their Spring 2024 capsule, we infused those influences into our world.

Motivated to transform Augmented Threads into a social space, we constructed a runway extending from the central hub. This showcased the versatility of the space and demonstrated how runways could be integrated into the digital fashion environment.

In preparation for our world’s presentation at the Without Walls Festival, we meticulously refined our work. Throughout the festival, we had the opportunity to guide over 100 individuals through a virtual reality experience, illuminating the future of fashion.

We recently had the opportunity to speak and present our VR project at Unmasking XR: A Revolutionary Medium Over Marketing, a discussion hosted by UC San Diego’s Office of Innovation and Commercialization.  This discussion was part of the Innovation at the Edge speakers series, where industry leaders explore the real-world impact of extended reality (XR). The event was an incredible opportunity to share our vision and discuss the broader applications of XR in fields like retail, highlighting the potential of this transformative medium to drive societal progress.