League of Legends virtual hip hop group, True Damage made their debut today with “Giants” (which I absolutely love). The group, and the song, are meant to promote new skins Riot Games included in Patch 9.22, but the most interesting thing about these skins is that some of them are designed by Louis Vuitton.
Yes – you read that correctly. Louis Vuitton’s artistic Director of women’s collections, Nicolas Ghesquière designed LoL champion Qiyana’s True Damage Prestige Edition skin, based off LV’s Resort 2020 collections. A Prestige Edition of Senna’s True Damage is set to be released in 2020, also designed by Vuitton. This isn’t their first foray into gaming fashion either – they made Final Fantasy 13’s Lightning their official spokesperson in 2016.
If seeing a famed 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 and more gamers are developing an interest in fashion, one way or another. Fortnite made over $2.4 billion dollars in 2018- not because of actual game sales (it’s free to play) – but 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, with custom-made looks created by the players themselves.
It’s unknown if other fashion designers 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 for just one bag. It gives fashion houses an opportunity to attract a group of people who are usually not interested in high fashion by designing skins and gaming cosmetics. And gaming companies will make a boatload of money because gamers will want the right to brag about owning a custom-made Balenciaga virtual . Everyone wins.
