With the introduction of NFTs into the metaverse and a seemingly never-ending list of surprising brand collaborations over the past few years, the practice of flexing clothing—previously constricted to the real world—is becoming an increasingly larger part of the gaming world. Louis Vuitton made a video game. Gucci bags are in Roblox. And now, Balenciaga has made its way into Fortnite.
gaming
Balenciaga Comes to Fortnite: High Fashion and Gaming Continue to Merge
Fortnite x Balenciaga
Fashion and Gaming:
While the details of this specific collaboration are certainly interesting, I'd like to focus on what this move means for the future of gaming. The integration of Balenciaga into Fortnite is creating another world of flexing in game; what's "cool" in video games used to have almost nothing to do with what was cool IRL. You wanted the abyssal whip in Runescape simply because you saw other players in game look "cool" with it equipped, not because you actually love whips. But even as far back as early seasons of Fortnite, Epic began to integrate aspects of pop culture into the game, blurring the line between IRL hype and digital hype.
See: Fortnite x John Wick:
Did you like this article?
