UK's Timberland & Epic Games unveil innovative experience in Fortnite

The Construct: 10061 Fortnite experience was launched at Timberland’s flagship Orefici11 store during Milan Design Week.

Elements of the project include Timberland Design Lab and Maker Space; Meta Design Workshop; and Timberland Parkour Trails.

The other elements are Metaboots in AR and Prototype Boots, in AR. The Forest Metaboot was recreated in high fidelity using Unreal Engine and is viewable and accessible in AR through Sketchfab. The AR boot appears against backdrops modeled after the Forest biome and built using Unreal Engine’s Quixel Megascans. Eight physical prototypes from a recent IRL workshop have also been scanned and placed against biome-inspired backdrops using Unreal Engine-powered Twinmotion and Quixel Megascans. These are also accessible in AR through Sketchfab.

“Timberland was built on a foundation of footwear innovation; our partnership with Epic Games’ Unreal Engine allows us to explore new dimensions as we envision the future of bootmaking and boot culture. We’ve brought the collaboration model into the metaverse by inviting innovators such as Daniel Bailey, Zixiong Wei and Aisha Kujk to co-create Metaboots with our own ACE designers, in Fortnite. At the same time, we’re inviting consumers into the world of design innovation within an amazing Fortnite experience. The possibilities to connect in the metaverse are endless,” said Drieke Leenknegt, chief marketing officer for Timberland.

“Timberland has built a legacy around some of the most beloved products in footwear, in large part thanks to their innovative, forward-thinking mindset. Through the usage of Unreal Engine-based tools and virtual worlds, brand enthusiasts have the chance to engage with Timberland boots in ways not possible today, while designers are able to create and collaborate in completely new ways, with the help of real-time 3D technology,” said Raffaella Camera, head of Brands at Unreal Engine, Epic Games.

Timberland boots in ways Started in 2018, each year Construct: 10061 brings together the best footwear innovators and creators from around the world to rethink and push the boundaries of bootmaking. For S22, Construct enters the metaverse for the first time.

“By connecting artists and creatives from different industries, we challenge and learn from each other and often have ideas we’d never come up with by ourselves,” said Daniel Bailey, founder and creative director of Conceptkicks.

The creative strategy in bringing Construct: 10061 into Fortnite was led by Metavision. “For this project, we were really interested in capturing the design process and showing how the Metaboots came to life. It has been a great pleasure to collaborate with creators from different disciplines at BeyondCreative and Construct, learn about each other’s styles and influences, and create some amazing things. Metavision is focused on finding new ways to engage with audiences and tell stories in the metaverse and it’s been fantastic to work with Timberland and partners who share this ethos,” said Luke Price, co-founder and creative director of Metavision.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HO)