Inside Lockwood: interview with Fashion Game Producer Philine Gehrmann
Inside Lockwood: interview with Fashion Game Producer Philine Gehrmann
Our metaverse is truly like no other. We pride ourselves on being a part of a digital space that’s built on transparency and creativity — we really wouldn’t have it any other way! As part of our doubled-header Inside Lockwood series, we interview the hugely talented Philine Gehrmann to discuss her role as well as what the future holds for Avakin Life. And without further ado, here it is!
Hi Philine, first of all, it’s so great to have the opportunity to sit down with someone so close to the creative process in Avakin Life. You have quite a unique role at the moment working, curating the fashion contest minigames. Can you tell us a bit more about the work that goes into planning them and how you decide which themes to cover?
The Fashion Contest allows users to dress their avatars and compete against each other in custom style competitions. As part of my role as the Fashion Game Producer, a typical workday includes researching on-trend fashion themes to run as a competition, generating ideas for events and seasons and bringing them to life by curating items, deciding on which in-game location to run the contest in and watching as thousands of players worldwide interact with the competition.
To keep the fashion contests fresh and exciting, I run a fun mix of on-trend fashion themes, roleplay inspired contests and contests, in which our users can show off their newest purchases. With around 29 contests per week, I have a lot of room for creativity and our users can be sure to find a contest they enjoy competing in.
And from your experience, which sort of content do you find resonates best with players, and how does it inform your future choices?
From my experience, I would say that our users most enjoy roleplay contests such as Halloween-themed ones as well as contests, in which they can wear ball gowns, suits and wings. As those items are rather exclusive and less affordable, I believe they enjoy being able to style a look around them and show them off in game. Apart from that, contests with items that are exclusively available in the Fashion Game are very popular.
I try to always run a fun mix of contests with affordable items, and contests with items that are rather exclusive to make the Fashion Contest accessible and fun to play for everybody.
Is there any sort of content that works specifically well for digital as opposed to physical forms?
I believe wings, costumes and other roleplay items might be a good example here. In real life we get very little opportunity to dress up as vampires, princesses, and fairies but Avakin Life gives users the chance to be everything and anything they want to be without any limitations they might encounter outside the metaverse.
There aren’t many with your fashion background that run gaming content on the scale that you do, what challenges (if any) comes with producing content at such a frequent rate?
Generating ideas for 116 contests per month comes with the joy of creative freedom, and the opportunity to run almost every theme you can think of. In addition, working in the digital fashion industry comes with the great advantage of being able to respond much more quickly to consumer demands and new upcoming trends. However, it also comes with the challenge of providing contests at a very fast turnover that are fun and exciting to play, fashionable and never the same.
What’s the most unique quality someone with your fashion background can bring to the metaverse?
I believe my in-depth understanding of the real-life fashion industry, it’s opportunities and limitations is a unique quality that enables me to understand how those aspects can be transferred to the metaverse. Especially in a sense where it facilitates me to envisage where the metaverse offers an opportunity to surpass real life limits, and gives us the chance to create a new reality in which the impossible is possible.
What should fans expect from the fashion contest minigames over the next 12 months?
Fun fashion game events, such as Halloween, Christmas and Easter events that will feature exclusive items only available in the fashion game! And of course, more exciting contests for fashion lovers all around the world to interact with.
In September, Avakin Life is running a new Fashion Star Qualification Contest where the Top 50 looks from the three qualification rounds will make it to the final that will feature great prizes. This week Avakin Life players can roleplay a global runway in Paris, so be sure to dress up and get up that catwalk as a model, or explore behind the scenes as a fashion photographer — you don’t want to miss it!
