The Virtual Future of Luxury Fashion

2020 was a game-changing year, to say the least. With people confined to their homes, we turned to our devices and the digital world more so than ever. Brands quickly took notice and scrambled to digitise, accelerating their platforms and capabilities and switching up their marketing strategies and collaborations to keep up with the times.

Luxury brands who tend to err on the side of traditional were also nudged into the digital arena and have cropped up in some slightly unexpected places: Gaming.

The move, although interesting, is also wise given the massive opportunity within the video gaming sector. 2020 and the ensuing lockdowns were ideal for the industry that saw exponential growth in the last year.

The 2020 Global Games Market Report claims that the gaming market generated close to AU $210 billion in revenue in 2020, with 2.6 billion players globally. This is an increase of 135 million players compared to 2019. The esport category, in particular, has seen substantial growth, with global audiences growing to 495 million in 2020, a near 12% increase year-on-year. In terms of demographics, APAC accounts for over 50% of gamers worldwide whilst women account for close to 50% of all game enthusiasts —a fact that many find surprising.

So how does luxury fashion fit into this multi-billion-dollar industry that appears ripe so with opportunity? We have rounded up 3 of the best collaborations and intersections between luxury fashion and the immersive world of video gaming.

3 Luxuy Fashion Brands Who Are Stepping into the World of Video Games

Louis Vuitton x League of Legends

Ahead of the trend was Louis Vuitton, with a pre-pandemic partnership with League of Legends, one of the world's largest esports.

The multiplayer battle arena game is free-to-play but is monetised through character customisation. Players pay for custom "skins", cosmetic effects and accessories, which is where the opportunity lies for luxury brands like Louis Vuitton.

The partnership included a real League of Legends capsule collection designed by Nicolas Ghesquière in partnership with the developer, Riot Games.

The futuristic collection of leggings, cycling shorts, printed tees, boots and more featured "unique and original references true to the League of Legends universe," Louis Vuitton wrote on the brand's site.

The pieces range from $220 to $7,350, and prestige in-game skins for specific characters (Qiyana and Senn) draw even more attention to the collaboration. Louis Vuitton also had a hand in creating the trophy case for the 2019 League of Legends World Championship, which saw 44 million viewers tune in.

Gucci x Fnatic

To any non-gamers out there, Fnatic is a professional esports organisation with teams of elite gamers who participate in global competitions on games such as League of Legends.

For context, Fnatic is what the BBC once dubbed the "equivalent of football super-team Real Madrid."

In June 2020, worlds collided when Italian fashion house Gucci collaborated with Fnatic, unveiling a watch inspired by their League of Legends team. The limited-edition diving watch, worth $2100, "mixes Fnatic's logo and signature black and orange colouring with the House's monogram. The archival code mirrors both the initials of Guccio Gucci and the gaming slogan, Good Game."

This collab was the perfect tester and a sign that there is undoubtedly more to come in this sphere.

Moschino x Sims

Another brand to observe opportunity in the gaming world is Moschino, again ahead of the curve with their collaboration with The Sims in 2019. Moschino released a capsule collection of 37 pieces featuring iconic Sims motifs, chain detailing and Moschino logos. In the ultimate blurring of reality, the prints appear pixelated, giving the illusion of a video game avatar.

The collection was later released on The Sims – a game that has sold close to 200 million copies and is considered one of the best-selling video game series ever.

With such a broad audience of viewers and players, we have surely only witnessed the tip of the iceberg in this interesting intersection of high fashion and gaming.

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