When gaming meets luxury fashion

14 Oct 2024

Thirty or so years ago – in a time of less diversity, equity and inclusion – the luxury fashion industry was wrestling with the rise of hip-hop music. Should brands embrace it? Some even worried the association would dilute their prestigious image.

The same dilemma emerged around the 2010s when streetwear was taking off in the mainstream. Was it okay to put sneakers and hoodies on runways? Ultimately, the answer was a resounding “yes.” But it took a few early movers and cult figures to get the rest on board.

For the past five to 10 years, the same thing has been happening around gaming. Early adopters like Gucci and Balenciaga have dedicated teams that deal with a breadth of gaming initiatives. Instead of one-off stunts, gaming has become an ongoing channel for these luxury houses, in the same way that hoodies and sneakers are a staple in luxury fashion collections and hip-hop artists regularly show up across their campaigns and shows.

Hip-hop and streetwear were born in the US and still dominate in terms of market size. Gaming (despite emerging in the US) has given rise to other cultural and commercial behemoths – namely in China.