{"id":6205,"date":"2026-03-11T15:21:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T14:21:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.lineapelle-fair.it\/?p=6205"},"modified":"2026-03-24T09:50:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T08:50:04","slug":"what-does-it-mean-for-the-fashion-world-if-pikachu-walks-the-runway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.lineapelle-fair.it\/en\/trend-en\/what-does-it-mean-for-the-fashion-world-if-pikachu-walks-the-runway\/","title":{"rendered":"What does it mean for the fashion world if Pikachu walks the runway?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the latest London Fashion Week, the designer Jimmy Paul brought to the runway a collection inspired by Pok\u00e9mon. By speaking the shared language of Gen Z, he has confirmed the renewed interest of fashion and luxury towards the gaming world, whose platforms could (already) represent \u201cthe future of social media\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

by Massimiliano Viti<\/p>\n

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For\u00a0Gen Z, Pikachu<\/strong>\u00a0is much more than just a character. It stands for collective memory, shared language and strong visual identity. So, when – on February 21st – for the\u00a0London Fashion Week<\/strong>, the designer\u00a0Jimmy Paul<\/strong>\u00a0brought to the runway a collection inspired by Pok\u00e9mon, the message was clear. Contemporary fashion no longer draws inspiration solely from historic archives or traditional sub-cultures, but even from the digital universes that shaped\u00a0the collective image of millions of gamers in the world<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A new generation of customers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The London runway show has even certified another phenomenon. After the craze for the Metaverse,\u00a0the fashion industry has plunged back into gaming<\/strong>. A connection that has gained momentum in 2020\/2021, during the Pandemic, and is now being revived. After all, the gaming world\u00a0is a digital channel capable of globally reaching a brand new generation of customers<\/strong>. \u201cIf you are talking with someone under 20 and you ask him where he usually connects with his peers, he would tell you that he\u2019s neither on Facebook, nor on Instagram. If anything, he would consume content on TikTok and Snapchat. But, in reality,\u00a0he socializes on Roblox and Fortnite<\/strong>\u201d, as\u00a0Charles Hambro<\/strong>, CEO of the gaming insights platform\u00a0Geeiq<\/strong>, tells Vogue<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If Pikachu walks the runway<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Between 2024 and last year,\u00a0Coach\u00a0<\/strong>has launched four collaborations within the gaming world. Therefore, it\u2019s not a case that it is a popular brand among Gen Z. \u201cOur goal is to attract new customers and the Gen Z: we always want to make sure that we\u00a0meet the consumers exactly where they are<\/strong>\u201d, as stated by Kimberly Wallengren, manager of the American brand. At the end of 2025, even\u00a0Balenciaga\u00a0<\/strong>partnered with\u00a0Pubg<\/strong>,\u00a0Fortnite\u00a0<\/strong>(approximately 1,48 million daily players and a total of 500 million registered players) and\u00a0Rematch<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

According to experts, if a luxury brand wants to attract Gen Z customers it simply has to consider an investment and a presence in online videogames, where – by the way – young people spend the most time: an average of\u00a02,7 hours a day<\/strong>\u00a0on Roblox, higher than the\u00a02 hours a day<\/strong>\u00a0spent on TikTok,\u00a01,3 hours<\/strong>\u00a0on Instagram and\u00a01,2 hours<\/strong>\u00a0on YouTube; figures provided by Geeiq. The average engagement duration on an Instagram post is between 1 to 4 seconds, while the average engagement time for an experience within Roblox adds up to\u00a011 minutes<\/strong>. Then, in addition, almost three out of four Gen Z consumers identify themselves as digital players, according to the data shown by E-Marketer.<\/p>\n

Pure communication platforms<\/strong><\/h3>\n

But if it was the company\u2019s innovation team leading the way in the Metaverse,\u00a0the gaming industry is entirely driven by marketing<\/strong>. \u201cbrands should look at gaming as\u00a0pure communication platforms<\/strong>, exactly as they do with Instagram and TikTok. Gaming platforms are, essentially,\u00a0the future of social media<\/strong>\u201d, declares Hambro, who underlines how the impression cost is much cheaper within these virtual worlds.<\/p>\n

The risks<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While these collaborations surely open up new sources of revenue and visibility for luxury brands, they also raise\u00a0some questions<\/strong>. The distribution of\u00a0skins\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0purchasable in-game cosmetics<\/strong>\u00a0has transformed the\u00a0digital identity<\/strong>\u00a0into a marketable asset.\u00a0The avatar becomes an important space of self-representation<\/strong>\u00a0where users are willing to invest real money. When symbols of prestige are turned into skins,\u00a0the concept of scarcity changes<\/strong>\u00a0as well. In our concrete world, an object acquires rarity if it\u2019s produced in limited quantity. In the gaming world, rarity can be programmed or just depend on the symbolic value that a specific item holds within the community.<\/p>\n

All of this could generate remarkable success in terms of marketing, but could also\u00a0undermine the concept of exclusivity<\/strong>. At the same time, brands must safeguard their peculiar artistic and creative DNA, without compromising it through irrelevant collaborations (see Balenciaga in 2021). Not to mention the importance of\u00a0sustainability\u00a0<\/strong>– the energy costs of infrastructures and the sustainability of digital items – and of\u00a0transparency\u00a0<\/strong>in terms of monetization methods (source\u00a0luxus-plus.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Luxury gaming<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Price ranges exist even in the gaming world<\/strong>. High-end entertainment is based on\u00a0immersive solutions<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0customization<\/strong>, in order to make every aspect as exclusive as possible. So: immersive and hyper-realistic virtual worlds, exclusive online communities accessible by invitation only. But even virtual house settings in luxury estates, supercars, private islands and in-game purchases of designer watches and expensive jewelry. And within this sector, as told by Luxury Lifestyle Magazine<\/a>,\u00a0Artificial Intelligence<\/strong>\u00a0came to the rescue.<\/p>\n

AI makes a game that used to be the same for everyone unique and personal and, as a consequence, it attracts a brand new exclusive category of competitors. For example:\u00a0the game turns more dynamic<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0it modifies itself<\/strong>\u00a0in relation to the real-time decisions of the player. It adapts to the gamer\u2019s skill level and playing style in order to ensure that every gaming session is enjoyable and not frustrating. Then, in some virtual worlds, it is possible to customize the setting to suit the player\u2019s taste and preferences. Not to mention the\u00a0virtual credit cards<\/strong>\u00a0that are already the norm within luxury gaming.<\/p>\n

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