Game On

The gamer, holed up at home playing video games, caring more about graphics, gameplay and leaderboards than the latest designer collections. The fashion fanatic, weaving in and out of runway shows, caring more about the intricacies of an outfit than how to defeat enemies and achieve objectives. 

The gamer and the fashionista. Two types of people you wouldn't expect to come together.

And yet they have. 

The beautiful thing about fashion is that it is pervasive. Even those who say they care nothing about fashion still have to get dressed in the morning, and their very disregard of clothing is in of itself a style statement. Fashion collaborates regularly with the entertainment industry, and that relationship is widely celebrated. Yet even though fashion plays a similar role in gaming (hello, cosplayers!), that particular relationship appears to be less of a talking point in both industries.

I do have some basic, surface knowledge of gaming from watching YouTuber PewDiePie (although I watch him more for his comedic personality than his gaming), but beyond that, I am definitely not a gamer myself. However, a number of my friends are, and recently, one of them sent me a couple of links that helped open my eyes to the dialogue between fashion and gaming.

First of all, if there's one way I'm going to relate to gaming, it's through fashion. My friend sent me this hilarious article from Polygon that pits the various outfits of Final Fantasy character Sid against a panel of editors from Racked. I, like the editors, have limited knowledge about Final Fantasy, and so I loved all the quippy commentary provided by women whose eyes are fresh to the game, but well-versed in fashion. From breaking Cid's looks down into fashion terms, to analyzing his mix of textures, to referencing runway shows, this article was an absolute delightful read.

But what really piqued my interest was learning Louis Vuitton is featuring Final Fantasy character Lightning in its Spring 2016 ad campaign. Now, I would have had no idea who Lightning was if my friend had not explained to me a while back she is the older half of a sister duo (and after looking at a picture of both sisters, I must say the edgier older sister is definitely more in line with the Louis Vuitton brand). For someone who never thought knowledge about gaming would come in handy, I found myself grateful for being able to recognize the reference one of fashion's most ubiquitous labels was making.

Furthermore, Nicholas Ghesquière also highlights Minecraft and Tron: Legacy in his Spring 2016 runway show. Judging from the pink-haired model who opens, Ghesquière also likely had Lightning as his muse very early on.

This is not to say I'm suddenly into gaming, but as can be seen, when both industries are more open-minded about each other, great collaborations and projects come out of it. While those who are fans of both Final Fantasy and fashion may be few and far between, this at least starts a conversation between the two groups - like it has with me and my friend - where each can learn from the other.

Image Source: Rainer Tachibana, Hard and Soft Gaming, Adland