Virtual apparel is a burgeoning market.  In 2008, more than $1.3 billion dollars of virtual goods were sold in virtual worlds, games, and immersive spaces.  This figure is expected to more than double in 2010.

Avatar apparel – clothing, accessories, and footwear worn by avatars – is a huge part of these sales.  Until now, there have been no programs specifically intended to help new designers become established in this area.      

After more than 3 years of development, the Fashion Research Institute is pleased to offer courses, which are conducted wholly in the immersive workspace it maintains in Second Life© and in OpenSim.  These courses are not intended to replace traditional fashion design education and should not be regarded as an acceptable substitute.  Rather, they are intended to offer professional development training to those virtua designers who wish to extend their knowledge and expertise into this emerging new niche market.

FRI is currently offering Avatar Apparel Design 101.

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