Balenciaga makes phygital haute couture with Fortnite

Balenciaga announced its first collaboration with wildly popular online battle royale game Fortnite on Monday, a partnership that will allow four of the video game's characters to wear pieces inspired by the luxury fashion house's collections. 

With the new "Balenciaga Fit Set," Fortnite players can use digital versions of outfits designed by the fashion brand to dress up Doggo, Ramirez, Knight and Banshee, four of the most popular avatars in the hugely successful shooter from developer Epic Games' crown. 

"Our partnership with Epic didn’t start with Fortnite, actually," pointed out Balenciaga creative director Demna Gvasalia in a release, recalling that the brand created its first video game, "Afterworld," to debut its collection for Fall 2021. 

The collaboration will also include a collection of physical Fortnite clothing, which will appear in Balenciaga's stores, offering hats, tees and hoodies inspired by Retail Row, a favorite point of interest in the game. 

"Self-expression is one of the things that makes Fortnite so unique, and there couldn’t be a better first fashion partner than Balenciaga to bring their authentic designs and trendsetting culture to millions of players around the world," explained Epic Games president Adam Sussman.

Balenciaga is far from being the only luxury label to have ventured into the world of video games recently. Louis Vuitton has previously made skins for online battle arena game League of Legends, while in February, Gucci teamed up with gaming content creators to design pieces reflecting its distinctive aesthetic for Nintendo's popular Animal Crossing: New Horizons.