Balenciaga wearing his «Digital Glamour»

Demna Gvasalia surprise everyone with his new digital collection joining the metaverse through the Fortnite game. Gvasalia said in a statement: «It made perfect sense to me to take our collaboration one step further and create authentic Balenciaga looks for Fortnite and a new Fornite line of physical clothing for our  stores.»

Taking fashion to new dimensions has been one of Gvasalia’s goals since  signed his first collection for Balenciaga. Thanks to the detailed virtual world of Fortnite, he’s doing something that few designers have achieved. Balenciaga’s alliance with Fortnite makes the brand available to millions of players with a really low entry price. In the game, in addition to choosing accessories and clothing, you can enter a signature store and book a personalized Balenciaga Stylish Dance. Also, users who make a purchase and play dressed in their new Balenciaga outfits can present photos of their characters to be included in the virtual billboards of the great Fortnite square. In the real Times Square, humans (from the real world) can already see Doggo (one of the most well-known characters in Fortnite) on a billboard dressed in Balenciaga clothes and walk up Madison Avenue until they reach the Balenciaga store, where real products from this same collection can be purchased

 This alliance presents obvious benefits for both. The luxury house and the video game: Balenciaga will reach a new audience of hardcore gamers and Fortnite will enter the lexicon of designer fashion (Louis Vuitton and Nicolas Ghesquière embarked on an adventure similar in 2019 with League of Legends). But the Balenciaga x Fortnite collaboration is not just about commercially bringing both brands closer to a new demographic, but also about building a new creative language. «They are not just a few looks», assured by a Zoom with Vogue Phil Rampulla, head of branding of Epic. «It is the maximum expression of oneself.»

And if that’s not enough, Balenciaga also created their own game within their metaverso. A streamed video game showcasing the collection (largely comprised of anatomical Alien-shaped sunglasses, NASA / PS5 logos, and an asymmetric construction) was therefore a natural progression for the brand.