In 2019, Riot Games debuted a new virtual hip-hop group called True Damage. Comprised of League of Legends champions Qiyana (Becky G), Senna (Keke Palmer), Akali (Soyeon), Ekko (Duckwth, Thutmose), and Yasuo, their song “GIANTS” was meant to promote new in-game cosmetic skins. But a lot of players were shocked to learn that one of those skins was designed by luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton.
Yes, that Louis Vuitton.
Qiyana’s Prestige Edition skin is the first result of a partnership between Riot Games and Louis Vuitton. The cosmetic was designed by Artistic Director of Women’s Collections Nicolas Ghesquière, who based the design off of LV’s Resort 2020 line. The second skin Prestige Edition skin will be released for Senna in early 2020. This isn’t the first time Louis Vuitton has dipped into the world of digital fashion. Back in 2016, they used Final Fantasy XIII character Lightning as a model for their Spring/Summer collections.
League of Legends is one of the most popular online, team-based strategy games, so some might be shocked to learn how important a role fashion plays. Skins allows players to change a character’s appearance, with custom-made looks created by the players themselves.
If seeing a famous fashion house devote so much time and energy designing virtual clothes for fictional characters seems ridiculous to you, then you’d be in a minority that’s getting even smaller. More gamers have developed an interest in fashion, and developers want to cash in. Fortnite made over $2.4 billion dollars in 2018 from in-game purchases of skins and cosmetics. Even in games like Elder Scrolls Online, Guild Wars 2, and Warframe, fashion is considered an important part of the player’s experience.
Time will tell if other fashion houses will follow Louis Vuitton’s lead, but if they do, I’m all for it. This is perfect for fashion lovers who can’t afford to spend thousands of dollars on real-life clothes. It gives luxury brands an opportunity to attract a group of people who usually aren’t interested in high fashion by designing in-game cosmetics.
For now, digital fashion is here, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon.
📌 Changelog
- May 20, 2025: Article re-written to add additional information. Image upscaled for better quality.
- Nov 12, 2019: Original article posted.
