If, well before the Covid-19 pandemic, the real world and its social and economic dynamics had begun to explore the opportunities offered by the digital world, for a year now the virtual dimension has turned into a real one. survival tool.
Reaching a wider, younger and more connected audience, in fact, especially for the fashion system, has never been of such vital importance, given the blow suffered by the global health situation: while the tangible world was forced to stop in fact, the parallel one to be accessed via app or desktop has continued to expand its domain and build value, starting with video games. The need to have fun and express one’s neighbor, in this era in which everything seems to be on stand-by, is in fact satisfied by the platforms of gaming, which have become extremely attractive by fashion brands: not only in terms of communication and storytelling, but also of influence on the market.
Virtual and real prove that they are not so distant and unreachable but rather that one has a far from negligible impact on the other. If, during the lockdown, Animal Crossing has exceeded 11 million players worldwide, giving them the opportunity to virtually explore heavenly places, it is no wonder that users themselves are interested in dressing their avatars with what they themselves would wear or would like to show off: opportunities that, in 2020 , was caught on the fly by Marc Jacobs, Valentino and Anna Sui within the famous video game.
An intuition, that of the potential offered by gaming, arrived in unsuspecting times a Louis Vuitton, or in 2019, when he signed the historic partnership with League of Legends: platform that every day has over 8 million simultaneous players all over the world. A perfect example of co-creation starting from a series of digital creations and arriving at a real capsule collection with graphic t-shirts and themed accessories. In fact, a unique opportunity for reach an unexplored audience. Although the video game business is very small compared to the clothing market, in fact, the gaming industry is undoubtedly one of the strongest and growing sectors of this historical moment: according to NPD Group, in the first nine months of 2020, sales of video game hardware, content and accessories grew by 21% compared to the same period of 2019, reaching a whopping 33.7 billion dollars.
Louis Vuitton
To forget too stereotype of the nerd, now obsolete: eSports players and enthusiasts are proving to be more and more attentive consumers of fashion and beauty, eager to spend as much on customizable products in the game as in real life. A phenomenon given byincrease in female players, even more interested than in the past, in part, also for the diversification of the digital wardrobe of their avatars. And, given the growing attention to exclusive fashion contents, in addition to collaborations with famous electronics companies, the fashion brands could only launch themselves into the experimentation of their own exclusive video games, in line with their values and developing their own narrative: the first historic maison to explore this universe was Burberry in 2019 with the game B Bounce, resumed with B Surf in summer 2020 to promote the TB monogram collection. The English brand was then closely followed by Karl Lagerfeld and Roger Vivier – the first via e-commerce, the second via Instagram – with a mini game set on the streets of Paris. But the further step forward, which took place in recent months, was undoubtedly there presentation of the fashion collections in gaming mode.
The latest news in this sense is the project Sunnei Canvas for the launch of the collection Fall / Winter 2021: an experimental initiative inaugurated last July for Spring / Summer 2021, which includes the digital platform of the same name, designed to allow top retailers to customize their order, intervening in the design, material and shape of the creations. An innovative way not only to enhance the direct relationship with buyers, but also for reduce the environmental impact thanks to the elimination of the sample. An elaborate digital project in which Sunnei also presented new digital characters – as well as models – through which to present the garments and to play with via smartphone.
A interactive and avant-garde approach similar to the one launched just over a month ago, on December 6, by Balenciaga: the brand has launched its first game, Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow, to unveil the Fall / Winter 2021 collection through an allegorical adventure set in 2031, in line with Demna Gvasalia’s futurist gaze.
Even earlier, in late October 2020, Gucci debuted the sustainable Off the Grid collection in the latest version of The Sims, commissioning – and giving the players – digital replicas of garments and accessories. An irresistible inspiration that of the video game, developed shortly after also in the context of the November Guccifest from Hill Road and Gareth Wrighton through shorts directly influenced by video games: in Collina Land in fact, viewers can use the keyboard to maneuver avatar-transformed models within five different environments, including a neon-colored underwater world.
What will be the next news in terms of fashion and gaming? Whether it’s fashion shows with a virtual reality helmet or the chance to virtually try on the creations just presented on yourself, a common thread seems to connect each of these events: the possibility of reach out to anyone and be part of the fashion universe like never before, in first person.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
