Mishi McDuff

Summary

Turkish digital fashion designer Mishi McDuff founded virtual clothing house, ‘House of Blueberry’. McDuff began her career in digital fashion in 2012 by designing dresses on ‘Second Life’. Today, she partners fashion designers like Jonathan Simkhai, for metaverse brand activations, and the digital fashion brand can be found on Roblox and Second Life.

History

With an estimated 300,000 followers on platforms like Flickr, Turkish digital fashion designer and metaverse fanatic Mishi McDuff believes in the potential of digital fashion to redefine the fashion ecosystem. The serial entrepreneur has an interesting history. At fifteen, Mishi and her friends launched social network, Xuqa, later selling it to Microsoft. Exhilarated, they co-founded Peanut Labs, a marketing firm focused on gaming, and sold it to a data company. In 2012, Mishi McDuff founded ‘House of Blueberry’, a digital fashion brand that empowers self expression on the metaverse.

What led her to launch a digital fashion brand? She was a huge fan of musical artist Skye Galaxy and would listen to him on YouTube. When she discovered he did concerts on a platform called ‘Second Life’ she downloaded it and joined his concert astride several like-minded people. Shortly, she realised that her avatar looked basic compared to others and was determined to look just as stylish as the rest of them. That night, she designed a dress for her avatar and at the next virtual concert, people were asking her where they could purchase it. Inspired, Mishi began designing more dresses, subsequently launching a virtual store. Within three years, she reportedly made more than $1 million.

In 2012 the store grew to become House of Blueberry, a ‘creator-led, community-obsessed, data-informed and partnership-ready’ digital fashion brand. Of the firm belief that digital fashion is the driving force behind user identity because of its inclusiveness and is more sustainable and accessible than physical fashion, the world is her oyster! With more than 20 million assets sold, 10 thousand SKUs and over 400 thousand unique customers, Blueberry is live on platforms like Roblox, The Sims and Second Life, and actively expanding its brand presence and community.

A prime illustration is the brand’s support of Mental Health Awareness month. On May 13, 2022, Blueberry hosted a metaverse fundraising event alongside Broadway musical, Dear Evan Hansen where Mishi McDuff launched a digital version of the show’s iconic blue striped polo. Available for purchase on Roblox complete with customisations, all proceeds were donated to Child Mind Institute, a not-for-profit dedicated to transforming the lives of children struggling with mental health disorders and learning disorders.

Vision

To empower self-expression through digital fashion.

Mission Statement

To create content on top digital platforms and collaborate with renowned fashion designers to bring high end fashion experiences to the metaverse.

Key People

Gizem Mishi McDuff, CEO and Founder; Katherine Manuel, Chief Operating Officer; Ashley Hopkins, Chief Creative Officer; Jon Cochran, Director, Operations

Products and Services

Digital fashion

References

1. https://graziamagazine.com/me/articles/digital-fashion-designer-interviews/
2. https://wwd.com/business-news/technology/mishi-mcduff-interview-metaverse-fashion-blueberry-entertainment/
3. https://www.voguebusiness.com/technology/the-digital-designers-making-millions-from-in-game-fashion
4. https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2022/02/10881936/virtual-fashion-shows-metaverse
5. https://fashionunited.com/news/fashion/digital-fashion-brand-blueberry-reveals-metaverse-drop-with-broadway-musical/
6. https://www.glossy.co/fashion/fashion-briefing-nyfw-is-becoming-a-launchpad-for-technology/
7. https://venturebeat.com/games/how-digital-natives-will-lead-the-way-to-the-metaverse-house-of-blueberry/
8. https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/profiles-strategies/2022/12/metaverse-avatar-fashion-video-games-clothes.html
9. https://www.xrtoday.com/mixed-reality/house-of-blueberry-shares-secrets-to-web3-fashion-success/
10. https://us.fashionnetwork.com/news/Blueberry-names-two-new-female-senior-leadership-hires.html
11. https://observer.com/2022/10/house-of-blueberry-has-been-outfitting-digital-avatars-for-a-decade/