With Drest, digital clothing is one step closer to mainstream

Digital versions of luxury clothing are appearing in apps and video games as brands test consumer appetite for virtual fashion. Drest, a gaming app unveiled by former Porter editor Lucy Yeomans on Monday, invites users to dress photo-realistic avatars in styling challenges, then buy physical versions of those garments on Farfetch. The 75-person startup recruited 100 brands, including Gucci, Prada, Stella McCartney, Valentino and Burberry. Six Italian luxury brands signed up within half an hour of her pitching them, Yeomans says. A waitlist for early access to Drest opens today; the full launch is slated for 2020. Louis Vuitton is also dipping its toes into digital fashion waters.