Fashion Meets Gaming - Top 5 Fashion Collaborations in Esports
Earlier this month, we here at Esports Illustrated reported on the FaZe Clan working with Nike to release a special edition of the Lebron 20’s the NXXT. This got us thinking. What are some of the best esports fashion collaborations ever? Compiled below are some of the top team ups of fashion and sportswear brands and esports organizations. Some are one-offs, and others are full blown partnerships. But our main criteria was that it had to produce a product you could actually buy at one point. So here are the top 5 esports fashion collabs and the impact they had on the scene.
Honorable Mention- Ralph Lauren & G2 Esports
Starting out with arguably the most prolific American fashion brand ever, Ralph Lauren joined forces with Europe’s G2 Esports back in 2021. It didn't make our top five because it was mostly a content play for Ralph Lauren’s Wimbledon collection. The ads primarily featured then bot-laner Carl “Rekkles” Larsson as a model, with some appearances from former team owner Carlos “Ocelote” Rodriguez Santiago. The content extended to the rest of the LEC team in the fall of the same year but still didn’t yield any esports specific gear.
5. Team Liquid & Marvel - X-Men Jersey
Sometimes a brand puts out a singular item that just…hits. That’s what we saw with Marvel's Team Liquid X-Men jersey. Like many of these partnerships, 2019 was a big year for esports and clothing collaborations. And when Team Liquid revealed that they were partnering with Marvel, of all people, it didn’t quite move the needle as much as some of the other brands.
In the following months, Team Liquid dropped various Marvel comics inspired gear, from Spider-Man to Captain America. But the best of it was the X-Men kit.
The Team Liquid/X-Men shirt was a deep cut, even for Marvel fans. When it comes to the X-Men, most people remember the iconic Jim Lee designs from the 90s cartoon and Marvel vs. Capcom games. But the TL piece harkened back to the 2000s giant “X” motif that was itself a spin on the classic blue and yellow fits from the 60s. At the time, it was lauded as one of the best apparel partnerships in esports.
4. FaZe Clan & G-Shock
Every now and then, a partnership taps into a community or buyer profile and it’s perfect. While this may not have the same level of impact as the subsequent collaborations on this list, FaZe Clan & G-Shock earned a spot here because it just makes sense. Part of the Casio brand of watches, G-Shock became a staple of streetwear over the past 20 years and partnering with arguably the most “Hypebeast” esports brand of them all seemed like a no-brainer.
The DW6900FAZE20-4CR Model G-Shock called back to the classic “red tiger” skins that FaZe became known for in their inception. Coupled with the carrying tin it comes with, the FaZe G-Shock is a must have for any superfan of the team. Like many of its gear drops, the watch sold out instantly. But it also represents a level of accessibility for their young fan base, with the watch coming in at $150 as opposed to some of the more high ticket items like their collaboration with BAPE.
3. 100 Thieves & Gucci’ - Off the Grid Backpack
In the first few years of its life, 100 Thieves were referred to as a “hoodie org”. Fans of other teams accused 100T of being more concerned with content creation and selling merch than being a good esports team. However, towards the end of 2019 and 2020, they were proving that you could do both. And when a new partnership with Gucci came about, the fashion media was starting to take note. So when the Gucci “Off The Grid” backpack dropped, 100 Thieves’ started to recontextualize “hoodie org” from an insult to something that could sustain their brand.
The bag itself was made in incredibly limited quantities using all recycled materials. And with the bag retailing at a staggering $2,500 on day one, it was one of the most expensive esports apparel items ever made. To this day, you can find the back on resale shops like Stock X going for about the same price. While the hype on this item was short-lived, it represented a transition for 100 Thieves as an organization and that the buying power of gamers was not to be underestimated.
2. Puma & Cloud 9
In early 2019, the German sportswear company became the official partner for C9’s esports jerseys. Part of what makes the partnership between Puma and C9 so great is that it’s all-encompassing. From shoes to jerseys, this partnership has been one of the longest lasting and most creative. While many of the collabs on this list are relegated to singular items, Puma and C9 boast a massive collection of gear that remains available for purchase even today.
Since the announcement, the two brands proceeded to create versions of the Puma TRC Blaze sneakers, numerous accessories and a staggering number of shirts and sweats. While others on this list opted for limited runs, Puma and C9 embodied the idea that fashion and esports can be a longitudinal play and one that solidified Puma as one of the premier apparel providers for gamers.
1. League of Legends & Louis Vuitton
The partnership between Louis Vuitton and League of Legends represents the pinnacle of esports fashion collabs. In many ways, it also represents the tremendous groundswell the esports industry experienced in the pre-pandemic consciousness. It was garnering the attention of the upper-class, investment was flowing into the teams and orgs like it had never seen before, and now, the haute couture world was ready to make its mark on the budding esports industry. Riot Games and LVMH didn’t shy away from the exorbitant nature of high fashion. Instead, they leaned into its more ostentatious and exclusive tropes. But perhaps the best part of it all was that it touched on every aspect of League of Legends as an esport.
The entire collaboration was rolled out brilliantly. Starting with a 40-piece limited run of clothing and accessories designed by Nicolas Ghesquière, the women’s creative director of Louis Vuitton. Ghesquière would also go on to design a couple of skins in the game proper for Senna and Qiyana. Skins so exclusive that the only way to obtain them was after paying for a battle pass and THEN grinding for hours to unlock them. And to top it all off, Louis Vuitton also designed a bespoke case for the League of Legends World Championship trophy. A case so over the top that it could have been mistaken for the trophy itself. The sheer depth of this integration hasn’t been seen or attempted since in esports.
League and LV’s symbiosis became an inflection point for esports. It raised the antennas of mainstream media, got ample coverage in the fashion world and represented a potential future where gamers could become cultural tastemakers. And while COVID and the subsequent economic headwinds may have slowed down such appetites, the LV and LOL team-up stands as a testament to what esports and fashion could still achieve.
