It was bound to happen. Anytime a new hobby, sport or activity magnetizes millions, a new look emerges. First, it’s the elite – or trailblazers – that adopts it until it finally trickles down to the masses. By way of Amazon. Or Walmart. It happened with pickleball, snowboarding, and now it’s moving into the e-sports arena. The big difference? This time the coveted style exists in both the digital landscape and the physical world. Buckle up!
Gaming has become big business. It’s now the leading form of entertainment. Yes, over movies and streaming TV shows. One third of the world’s population (three billion people!), plays video games of some sort: From grannies hooked on Candy Crush Saga to the pro gamers (also called ‘streamers’) who spend upwards of 12 hours a day on Twitch, the premier live platform for video games and broadcaster of e-sports competitions. Incidentally, it’s also owned by Amazon.
Virtual Dressing Up
Dressing up has always been part of the entertainment industry. Even before the floodgates of e-sports opened there were fashion dolls, the most popular one being, of course, Barbie, who has also been a vehicle for the sale of related merchandise (mainly clothing, accessories, and even home décor). Since, purchasing clothes for dolls and characters has grown exponentially.
And now, trending looks have entered the digital space, the fashion industry’s new playground. Whether it’s dressing virtual models, buying clothes for your avatar, organizing “in-game” fashion shows or creating capsule collections for e-sport teams, video games have become a coveted catwalk for designers.
Kim Kardashian was one of the first celebrities to bank on video games with “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood” where players bought virtual clothing and accessories to increase their clout in order to become A-List celebrities. You need the badass look no matter where you are, right? Olivier Rousteing, the designer of the Balmain label – who also dresses the Kardashians in real life for their red-carpet events –, created 20 digital versions of runway looks for the game. It is rumoured Kim was earning an estimate $1 million per week from the app, which was shut down in 2019. No doubt to make room for more lucrative adventures. Like the Skims brand of underwear and clothing.
But, for gamers, what does dressing mean?
According to Montreal-based gamer MrMrMiyagiX, “There are two types of gamers: The more artistic ones who are into cosplay and dress up like their favourite characters, and the super-competitive people who wear hoodies and shorts to play. Remember that when we’re playing, we get very hot. We’re not just sitting in a chair. It’s competition and there’s a lot of adrenalin pumping when you know people are looking at you playing live, streaming. So you need clothes to keep you cool.”
Fashion’s Latest Frontier: ‘Skins’
Fortnite, one of the most popular digital games, has become a cultural phenomenon with celebrities like Travis Scott and Ariana Grande performing virtual concerts inside the game.
With the digital transformation taking over, luxury brands are entering the virtual and gaming worlds by targeting consumers where they are: in front of their screens. In the realm of video games, digital fashion is booming. By the end of 2022, the market for “skins”, i.e. the clothing used to dress one’s avatar in a game, reached $61 billion.
Fashion started to take notice.
In 2019, Louis Vuitton partnered with League of Legends on both virtual and physical clothing. Designed by the fashion house’s Artistic Director, Nicholas Ghesquiere, the brand released a capsule collection inspired by League of Legends champion and Louis Vuitton ambassador, Qiyana. It featured a mix of casual wear and high-end pieces such as leather jackets and dresses. It sold out within a couple of hours.
Balenciaga followed with a collab with Fortnite. The French fashion house designed four “skins” that players could purchase, alongside accessories, weaponry, and a virtual Balenciaga destination in-game (complete with a Balenciaga store). The activation ran for one week, in 2021, and had an IRL element: a limited-edition run of Balenciaga x Fortnite hats, T-shirts, and hoodies were sold in Balenciaga brick and mortar and online shops.
The luxury and fashion industries are now creating cultural products inspired by the aesthetics of video games. A marketing operation coupled with an effective communications strategy: By embracing the visual codes of gaming, fashion creates a creative link with new technologies. That’s what led Balenciaga to present its Autumn-Winter 2021 collection in the form of a video game – Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow – with a futuristic, even apocalyptic, decor that resembles the set design of some of the most popular video games.
Fashion For Players
In the not-so-distant past, the words “gamer” and “fashion” were mutually exclusive. You sat for hours in your gaming chair wearing baggy clothes looking sloppy and dishevelled. But those days are gone!
Gaming has evolved from a niche hobby into a true global culture, with millions of serious players dedicating hundreds of hours a week to winning on their consoles at home or at e-sports tournaments.
This surge in popularity also means that there is a new breed of gaming influencers and streamers who are interested in broadcasting their gameplay, sharing tips, and connecting with massive audiences, effectively becoming icons within the community. Looks are suddenly more important.
Enter gamer fashion, an emerging lucrative channel for luxury brands and more commercial labels to make forays into the world of e-sports and reach a new market base. In the mid-price range, Montreal-based H4X is an apparel brand offering fashionable and high-performance gaming garments.
Gamer fashion is all about comfort and functionality. Athleisure wear such as joggers, sweatshirts, and hoodies are popular items, while oversized silhouettes are also important. Colours? They tend to be dark and moody, with a palette mainly featuring black, navy blue, olive green, burgundy, and gray. Occasionally, on T-shirts and sweatshirts, you see a splash of bold colour and graphic designs inspired by in-game visuals, and futuristic elements. Nostalgia also plays a role, with references to classic games and retro styles serving as nods to the past while remaining firmly grounded in the future. Tron, anyone?
Gamer Stylistic Cues
Previously, video games were mostly seen as a ‘guy thing’, but as the community diversifies, so do the clothes. Both gamers and streamers embrace clothing that transcends gender boundaries, championing inclusivity and body positivity. Plus, girl gamers are kicking ass! And there are 49 per cent of them in the gaming world.
This shift is influencing broader fashion conversations and promoting a more accepting and diverse world. According to MrMrMiyagiX, “girls are very popular streamers. Some often dress sexy to please their fans. It’s normal to do that. We all do. And some of them just want to be comfortable and wear baggy clothes.”
Appearance is very important to GenZ. And some of them consider their “virtual self” to be the authentic version of themselves. With their “skins”, gamers have a relationship with brands and wear clothes they couldn’t afford in real life. Instead of perfume, make-up or sunglasses, this is the new way of making luxury accessible to a new clientele.
What was once exclusive to gaming communities and livestreams has broken into the mainstream fashion scene. Luxe labels are taking notice of gaming’s influence, incorporating gaming-inspired elements into their collections. The dynamic colours, futuristic motifs, and streetwear vibes synonymous with gaming fashion have made their way on prestige label’s runways, demonstrating the trend’s undeniable impact.
Most brands should grasp the opportunity to bring their name to a new market segment. Just like this player was quoted in an article in Business of Fashion: “I think all kinds of luxury brands can cooperate with League of Legends. Maybe I can’t afford to buy a Louis Vuitton product in real life, but if I can buy Louis Vuitton skins in my video game, if I am wearing Prada, Louis Vuitton or Dior in the game, that could make me feel more confident, happier with my game.”
E-sports athletes represent teams with distinct uniforms and merchandise that blur the line between sportswear and street style. These designs are engineered for performance while showcasing the same visually appealing aspects that define gaming fashion. But in a strange reversal of trends, Dior outfitted a team of top e-sports players in classic men’s suits for the award’s ceremony of one tournament. One word: Branding.
But no matter where the trends are heading, gamer and streamer fashion is also a testament to their power in today’s pop culture. What started as a niche interest has morphed into a movement that influences everything from everyday streetwear to couture. The merger of gaming and fashion proves that self-expression knows no bounds, and the digital world can be just as impactful as the tangible one.
So, whether you’re a hardcore streamer or a casual gamer, there’s something out there for you.
