Experience Fashion In The Future with Balenciaga’s New Video Game
Had enough of 2020? Try 2031 instead.
Balenciaga are offering their fans a glimpse into the future through their new video game concept, Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow. The game allows consumers the chance to view Demna Gvasalia’s AW21 collection within “the projected future in which it is intended to be worn.”
After picking your avatar from a carousel of players decked out in the collection, players are able to take pieces from the collection out from a store, and into a world dreamed up by Gvasalia. Emerging on to a busy city street populated by avatars in oversized puffers and logo covered clothing, players then follow a path through a dark forest full of ravers and climb up to a mountain top for a mysterious surprise.
The game doesn’t offer much in terms of actual play, but it is the next logical step in innovation and interactive experience after Gvasalia’s increasingly futuristic fashion week presentations. Gvasalia explains that “The narrative of Afterworld is anchored to mythological pasts and projected futures with timeless archetypes and speculative imagery. The world may appear decaying at first, but it is far from a dystopian view, showing instead the slow return to a healthier balance of nature and industry.”
As for the fall range, the designer stays true to his penchant for oversized silhouettes, futuristic styling, mix and matching of materials and logo-heavy prints. Referencing the brand’s past, one of the most notable callouts are a pair of armour-like shoes, a nod to Nicolas Ghesquiere’s metallic boots presented in his Spring 2007 show. Such a message could hint to a kind of optimistic sustainability, offering up the idea that clothes are meant to be worn and will change over many years nodding to some kind of make-do and mend philosophy, albeit this time with a premium price tag. Another look features a print that reads “when I am done with this t-shirt, I will donate it” to further the narrative on the brand’s recent movements towards a more sustainable future.
Balenciaga’s video game concept isn’t the first of it’s kind, and recent times have seen Louis Vuitton partnering with League of Legends, Marc Jacobs and Valentino venturing into Animal Crossing and Moschino and Gucci teaming up with The Sims. However, with the global pandemic continuing to take its toll on physical shows, fashion’s foray into the digital world is unlikely to slow down anytime soon.
Want to give the game a go? Head to Balenciaga's website to check it out.
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