FASHION + GAMING
Moschino, Gucci, Dior, Balenciaga +
Fashion is always looking for somewhere new to go. Another area to infiltrate. Positioning itself in an arena you might not expect. With the Covid pandemic driving our lifestyles increasingly indoors, the world of gaming has naturally seen a boom in business – something that the fashion world has obviously noticed. As gaming continues to see an uptick in demand, fashion brands are recognizing the fact that as more and more eyes are glued to screens, those eyes could simultaneously be looking at their designs.
It’s not like fashion hasn’t collaborated with gaming companies before. Moschino brilliantly partnered with well-known simulation game The Sims last year, and created an entire capsule collection based around famous icons and characters from the game. The latest iteration of the fashion/gaming marriage is different this time around, however: we’re now seeing the brands’ designs in the game itself, rather than just sold in stores.
Earlier this year, Gucci doubled down on its recent foray into the gaming world and teamed up with mobile tennis game Tennis Clash. Two of the game’s star players, Diana and Jonah, can be seen dressed in specific Gucci looks based on real-life house designs, including headbands, monogrammed tracksuits, and T-shirts. Players can take part in a tournament called the “Gucci Open” and battle it out with Gucci-branded tennis rackets.
Fellow Kering brand Balenciaga threw their own gaming hat into the ring when the brand unveiled its latest collection in the form of a game called Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow. The first ever video game produced entirely by a fashion brand, Afterworld takes players on a journey to the near-future world of 2031, traveling through a post-apocalyptic Balenciaga store to an enchanted forest, where salvation is reached on the other side. Along the way, avatars appear wearing different looks from the collection, and the amount of detail rendered is astonishing.
Even beauty brand MAC got in on the trend when they partnered with the most popular mobile game in China: Honor of Kings. It focuses on five male characters from the game who make up (get it?) fictional boy band WXWZ (Bai, Shouyue, Yun, Xin, and Liang), and offers different products based on each character’s personality. Bai’s confident orange-pink eyeshadows, Shouyue’s cheerful Marrakech lipstick, etc. The collaboration has been a huge success, which makes sense considering MAC is definitely one of the younger-leaning Estée Lauder brands.
Whether you’re looking for gaming-inspired fashions for your own wardrobe, or prefer seeing your sartorial selections on your video game character of choice, chances are your favorite brand will soon be offering at least one of those options (if they aren’t already). With brick & mortar stores struggling to maintain relevance in a time of increased reliance on screens, designer brands will have no choice but to get in on the game.
