Fashion Meets Gaming in the Metaverse

When we think of gaming, many things may come to mind. Consoles, controllers, PS4, PS5, Xbox, Nintendo, flashy games, virtual reality, or a number of countless accessories like controller grips or thumbstick extenders. But when it comes to fashion in gaming, it would seem limited to the eccentric T-shirts, hats, hoodies and posters gamers like to wear or display during their endless midnight gaming Twitch streaming sessions.

The Metaverse, it seems, is changing the relationship between gaming and fashion. For starters, this past March Metaverse Fashion Week took place in the Paris-based virtual space Decenterland. Luxury fashion labels like Dolce & Gabbana, Etro or Fred Segal joined forces to display their garments and accessories in virtual reality. But that’s once a year. What are fashion labels doing the other eleven months? Well, a number of them are waking up to the fact that gaming in the Metaverse can be an ideal space to test new designs. Brands like Gucci, Balenciaga and Ralph Lauren are advertising their digital garments on games like Roblox or Fortnite to youngsters where they can produce a myriad of virtual designs and test them with consumers to determine what can work in the virtual world before committing to producing a full line of garments that could otherwise tank in the real world. 

But just how many consumers are actually buying digital clothing? According to a Y-Pulse survey, 41% of consumers aged 13 to 39 have purchased clothing for their gaming avatars. There is also the affordability factor in play, where a young consumer can afford a virtual Hermes bag that they could not afford in its physical form. And beyond the digital sale, this is valuable and reliable data for the fashion houses that produce both versions. The same survey shows that two out of three 13 to 39-year-old gamers claim that seeing avatars wearing fashionable garments makes them want to buy the brand. And furthermore, one in three of the same sample claim that they purchase virtual garments that they will eventually have shipped to their homes in physical form.

In Metaverse Fashion Week, customers need an Ethereum account to buy both NFTs or actual garments from the platforms. Upon entering the space, visitors can build their own avatars and dress them from a selection of generic body, face, clothing and accessories choices. For the more style-conscious, you can dress up your avatar in the latest fashion creations. And if you like your virtual look, you can even buy the real thing. In the gaming world, a credit card will do.

While many continue to question the legitimacy or reality of the Metaverse, it seems marketers and consumers are embracing the space faster than Zara can put a dress on a rack. If you’re old enough to remember people asking “but who’s going to buy shoes on the Internet?” back in the mid 90’s, well it seems like the same movie all over again.

Brands are seeing the gaming Metaverse as a new market to play in, where they can find a new level of engagement offering the ability to have virtual and physical collections. Luxury consumers react to trends and the virtual space provides a platform for the physical and digital products to intertwine with buying happening on both sides.

So if you thought color coding your thumbstick grips or controller grips in flashy red or electric blue was making a fashion statement, think again. Fashion is entering the gaming space with a vengeance. And it’s way past your controller grips.