Fashion brands have been taking advantage of digital resources to create and present their collections in new ways–Balenciaga being the latest brand to join them.
Balenciaga presented their new AW21 Collection through a video game format. Set in 2031, creative director Demna Gvasalia, presented Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow. The game allows you to walk through the five stages with model avatars donning the new collection.
“[it’s an] allegorical adventure…a hero avatar advances throughout distinct zones, motivated by tasks and interactions.”
Balenciaga joins other brands like GCDS (who had an entirely animated runway show complete with animated versions of celebrities) and Burberry (who premiered the latest collection on the streaming platform Twitch) in the digital fashion revolution. It also comes just after the release of PlayStation 5, whose logo features on several of the pieces.
“The narrative of Afterworld is anchored to mythological pasts and projected futures with timeless archetypes and speculative imagery.
Think dystopian, futuristic accessories and Balenciaga’s signature oversized, undone aesthetic. There were thigh-high armorial boots with an ultra-sharp point toe, which was even paired with an entire armour look complete with a sword. The infamous ‘shirt-on-a-shirt’ and ‘shorts-on-pants’ has returned but this time feels like a glitch as a new outfit loads onto the character.
Eye-catching outerwear like high-visibility jackets and NASA puffers were prevalent in this collection. The randomness and oddity of these items were enhanced by superhero-goggle sunglasses and action-ready stances.
The presentation and theme for the collection is appropriate for digital format but it’ll be interesting to see how these pieces will translate into reality.
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