Balenciaga Will Release A Video Game To Present Its New Collection

Balenciaga has found a new way to present its Fall 2021 collection. On Sunday, Dec. 6, the luxury brand will release Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow, a video game featuring the collection set in 2031.

"A hero avatar advances throughout distinct zones, motivated by tasks and interactions," according to Balenciaga's official announcement. "The narrative of Afterworld is anchored to mythological pasts and projected futures with timeless archetypes and speculative imagery."

Over the past couple of years, fashion houses have been working to expand their reach into the world of gaming. Recently, Gucci partnered with Sims creators to recreate its Off The Grid campaign, while Burberry streamed its Spring 2021 fashion show on Twitch this past September. Plus, a slew of designers and brands have tapped into Nintendo Switch's Animal Crossing craze since the beginning of the year.

Balenciaga's Demna Gvasalia lamented to WWD back in September over the monotony of presenting so many fashion shows each year, teasing that he would unveil his next collection in a new way.

"I think fashion shows have become too much of a comfort zone," he said. "It's a little bit too easy. And like, I don't believe in easy solutions being the best necessarily. And I also don't believe that fashion should function within the comfort zone. The comfort zone is where we stagnate. And given that fashion has to keep engaging people. I realized there are many other ways."

Check out the trailer for Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow, below.