Fashion isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when most people think of gaming. The two industries have always seemed to occupy distinct spaces in pop culture, overlapping only occasionally.
However, the relationship between them has grown in recent years, with high-end fashion houses turning their attention to the digital world and gaming.
The popularity of esports has accelerated the trend, with famous clothing lines supplying teams with gear to wear during tournaments.
Fashion has also played a significant role in some of the most-played video games in recent years. In this article, we explore the intersection of fashion and gaming.
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Fashion Forward Online Casinos
Not long ago, people went to casinos and arcades to play their favorite games.
Fashion was central to the casino experience, with people selecting their outfits carefully before sitting for an entertaining evening enjoying themselves out in town.
Technological advances have changed everything. While people still frequent brick-and-mortar casinos, online casinos have become increasingly popular.
Online casinos have a lot in common with their land-based counterparts but with a twist: they allow people to play their favorite card and table games from the comfort of their homes.
However, fashion is still an essential part of the online casino experience. If you pay close attention, you’ll notice many of the dress designs and avatars used in online casinos wear high-end fashion.
At the same time, players can dress down IRL as they play games like blackjack and its popular variants from their couches. All this goes to show that fashion still has an impact in the gaming world, even online.
Fashion Embraces Gamers
Technological advances have changed gaming and the profile of gamers over the past decade. Gaming is no longer confined to consoles and expensive PCs.
Today, anyone with a smartphone or tablet can choose from an assortment of video games, making the hobby more accessible than ever.
Fashion houses have taken notice, viewing gaming as another form of immersive media. Game developers and fashion designers both seek to tell stories with their creations, so it makes sense that a collaboration between the two industries would work.
The virtual gaming world is the perfect backdrop for fashion houses and designers, allowing them to connect with customers in a new reality.
Video game characters wearing new trends give players a window into the latest fashions, sometimes before they hit the runway.
High-End Collaborations
High-end fashion often brings to mind the world’s richest people dressing up in luxury goods that the average person would never dream of buying. Despite this perception, some of the world’s most famous fashion houses have decided to use video games as a backdrop for promoting their brands.
Depending on the video games you play, you may have had a chance to select your character’s clothing.
Gaming development teams have made costume departments an integral part of the design process, with 3D fashion designers working with gaming studios to create the clothing characters wear in gaming worlds.
ACRONYM designer Errolson Hugh designed the coat the protagonist in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided wore in the game. The result matched the character and became so popular it was incorporated into real-world coat designs.
Since game designers’ job is to create new worlds from scratch, they wear many hats, including architects, city planners, and fashion designers.
If they want the results to be credible, it makes sense to collaborate with experts in these fields. That’s what they’ve done recently by working closely with fashion designers to come up with clothes that fit into a game’s world.
Esports and Fashion Collide
Professional gaming has taken the world by storm, with millions crowding into stadiums or tuning in to Twitch to see top gamers play.
Fashion brands worldwide have taken notice and entered into partnerships with some of the world’s best esports teams.
Some top brands have struck deals with esports teams, seeing it as an opportunity to reach a new audience.
Nike and the League of Legends Pro League reached an agreement worth over seven million dollars a year. As esports continues to grow, we expect to see more of these deals in the coming years.
