Embarking on an exploration far from the traditions of fashion, step into the great (augmented) outdoors with Gucci, The North Face, and Pokémon Go.
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Before cracking ones knuckles and getting a game face on, there exists a great joy at that pocket of calm when one would create an avatar. As it stands to be an extension of the self in the virtual sense, every bit of time and consideration has to be underscored in this pre-game effort. With customization an increasingly important factor the gaming experience, as well as of the significant shift of the world to an almost exclusively digital paradigm, a lot of strides have been taken to up the ante so to speak. In fact, far from just the engineered in-game skins and coded clothing in games such as The Sims andPokémon Go, fashion has taken a great interest in the realm of this new playground, especially in the past year.
From the virtual fashion shows on Animal Crossing: New Horizons featuring looks inspired by Prada, Loewe, Paco Rabanne, Craig Green, and Chanel, the launch of a Louis Vuitton capsule collection on League of Legends, the “whipna choba dog” collaboration of Jeremy Scott and The Sims with the Moschino Stuff pack, the fully engaged epic experience of the gaming app, Afterworld: The Age Of Tomorrow, by Balenciaga, and the foray of Grand Theft Auto V into stylish territory featuring Polish sportswear label, Mishbv, new levels have been unlocked in the game of fashion.
“Fashion means anything as long as it creates a feedback loop with reality,” the brand details on Instagram. “Virtual reality is a new and exciting form of this dialogue.” An evolution of communication, the once cordoned off world of fashion is breaking away from its snooty past and interacting with a digital-first audience that is typically far removed from its tradition. In this conversation, the connection is closing in even more, with the unlikely rise of fashion and gaming crossovers fast becoming an interaction that many brands are incorporating into their ethos.
Always taking on the unexpected, we have come to anticipate surprises from Gucci. From disrupting its own fashion calendar and cycle to subverting the codes of convention, the Italian luxury brand house has been setting out on new adventures as of late. For its first collaboration under the irreverent helm of Alessandro Michele, the brand is set to embark on a path of true discovery with its The North Face x Gucci collaboration. A celebration of the spirit of exploration, Gucci and The North Face dives deep into the idea of adventure, highlighting the intersections of nature and human beings, as well as of beauty and function.
Realized in the unified logo, the partnership also brings to the fore the combined history, values, and commitment of the brands to eco-sustainable activities with its collection composed of a quilted skirt and jumpsuit, down coats, puffer jackets, t-shirts, backpacks, welted hiking boots, and a printed tent. With its retro-nostalgic campaign taking to the great outdoors, one would assume that the magic would stop in the vast and breathtaking expanse of scenic forests, sweeping range of peaks, and a steady stream by the lake. However, Gucci is taking the real-life adventure virtually as it announced a surprise coming together with the highly popular augmented reality game, Pokémon Go.
Revealed causally with nothing more than “Coming soon” captioned with a photo of Pokémon Go flag on Twitter on Christmas Eve last year, Gucci and The North Face sent even more shockwaves to the exponentially expanding hybrid market of fashion and gaming with the already anticipated team up. Furthering exploration in the walking-based sense, which is a prominent aspect of Pokémon Go, players across Europe, Middle East, Africa, North America, Latin America, Australia, and Asia can dress up their trainers in pieces from The North Face x Gucci collection, which you can shop for if you want to match avatar in real life. Just make your way to 100 PokéStops around the world, including Gucci flagship and Gucci Pins pop-up stores if you have the means (aka ka-ching) to do so. Either way, you get to experience the limited-time immersive imagined reality curated by Alessandro Michele where you can catch all ‘em Pokémons, collect items, and combat in gyms, all while wearing Gucci and The North Face in the process. That’s a sweet deal, for sure.
Now, it’s time to travel across the land, searching far and wide—when and where possible in utmost safety, of course. Right, Pikachu?
