Fashion and Gaming : The Digital Crossover

I have always found fashion to be a fantastic medium for expression, while it still has some evolution to do in the areas of representation and politics I think it has come a long way. I am always particularly fond of exploring its technical developments within the smart fashion sub-group of fashion. As I have a background in fashion design and education coupled with a vested interest in games I find my social media and news feeds awash with both topics, sometime combined into one topic. One of the things I have notice is how within fashion the idea of combining gaming and fashion is sometime heralded as a new or future step, even though it has in fact been a common crossover for quite some time, especially if we include non-digital games. When we consider live action role play, comic con and other game conventions fashion and games could be said to be synonymous, almost feeding off of the playful aspects of each other.

This influence can go either way. With digital characters adorned in designer garments, sometimes within the game itself or posing alongside real fashion models. You also have real life replicas of character outfits to allow people to embody or create their own characters or avatars.

1. The Hugo Boss Digital Showroom on Spatial.io

There is also the question of what is a game and when does a digital experience become a game, is Roblox a game, is Second life, is IMVU, is Sansar, what about Decentraland or even Spatial.io, the list could go on. Here there is a grey area between games and gamified experiences. But all of the abouved mentions digital worlds have integrated elements of digital fashion within them from fashion houses like Hugo Boss in digital fashion showcases in Spatial.io to Forever 21 clothing for Roblox avatars, physical fashion has already crosse the digital intersection and, in most cases, been welcomed.

2. Article: Forever 21 lets players customize virtual fashion stores in Roblox by Dean Takahashi @deantak
December 16, 2021 7:00 AM

Now digital game characters as fashion models doesn’t sound so far fetch when you consider that there are actually digital fashion models. Now if the idea of digital fashion models is news to you then you may not have heard of the likes of Shudu, Noonoouri, Boyce or (my personal favourite) Galaxia, who are just a few of the most notable names in the digital modelling universe.

3. Galaxi the worlds first Alien Supermodel

On the other hand various subcultures have developed around gaming culture and fashion. It is most evident when we see how cosplay has become an influence of street fashion. Street fashion in turn sometimes influences high fashion is a trickle up effect.

I find this mingling of creative influences both fascinating and inspiring, it heralds to the overarching holistic nature of creative mediums. This is definitely a space to watch, I am intrigue to see the different directions it will take and how fans will influence commercial practices.

1. The Hugo Boss Digital Showroom on Spatial.io
2. Article: Forever 21 lets players customize virtual fashion stores in Roblox by Dean Takahashi @deantak December 16, 2021 7:00 AM
3. Galaxi Istagram page Galaxia (@galaxia.gram) • Instagram photos and videos