Videogame Fashion?

You probably already knew that you could buy your own Tecmo Extreme Beach Volleyball bikini. We saw them for sale at the Tokyo Game Show, and they were less than impressive - they seemed designed for display, rather than for actual wear. Still, it's interesting to me when videogames spawn fashion, even in this manifestly obvious and commercial way.

(FYI - The one pictured to the left is my favorite. I'm a size small. Just in case you were looking to buy something.)

I've been thinking a lot about what it means to talk about "videogame fashion". Is it fashion inspired by videogames? Is it a trasparent copy, like the Tecmo bikinis, which are merely replicas of code? Or is there something deeper about the aesthetics of videogames which could perhaps be translated into the wearble?

And if the latter, then what is "videogame aesthetics"? Isn't it more than thematic deisgns? I tend to think of pixels, and modular pieces, like parts of a program.

All theoretical musings aside, we did see some fly Space Invaders gear on display at the Tokyo Game Show! My heart is filled with lust for those pastel Space Invader bags - they remind me of the Murakami LV bags. But about a jillion times cooler.

Comments

[b-ruce]

man, that gal's really happy to be in front of a "sea and clouds" backdrop, ain't she?

I'm not sure that I really want to see kids walking down the street looking like a final Fantasy character or Mario, unless it's haloween.

However Ryo's leather jacket with that bad ass picture of a tiger would go great with the white t-shirt, jeans and original Air Jordans that I still rock.

[Liz]

Those bags are awesome! I'm not loving the bikinis, I've seen better. I want one of those bags. :)

[Carter]

Let's not forget Cosplay. There's a whole underground culture out there dedicated to dressing like game characters. Though it's definitely not mainstream I wouoldn't doubt one of these days we have an ex-cosplayer-gone-official with their own brand of look-a-like clothing.

[Draigon]

I would say video game fashion is anything inspired by or done in the theme of video games. For example, if I were to create a character that is not in any video game, but I designed it to be pixel art. I would classify that as video game inspired. Because even if it's not in a game itself, where did I get the idea?

The less daring will take a plain shirt with a picture on it, while the more daring will go the road of the cosplayers. Maybe in the future a balance will occur between the two and it'll get it's own pixel fashion trend to the mainstream.

[ClockworkGrue]

Cower in abject fear from the assortment of character hats available from GenkiGang.com!

walk slow

[matt (uk)]

Lurve those bags, must get me one of them...

As for people dressing up as videogame characters isn't that just a Japanese thing? I don't see anyone in the UK, at least, wanting to dress up like a videogame character, the abuse they'd take walking down the high street would be enough ;)

[Eleanor]

If anyone decides to sell Samus' Phazon Suit from Metroid Prime, I am *so* buying it. :D

[loneblogger]

That is some seriously funny stuff. But with costumes for other characters going around, it wasn't long before these were official.

[la_haine]

don't suppose anybody knows where you can buy those space invaders bags, do they?

[dan]

http://store.yahoo.co.jp/kmc/68-25701.html
They don't have that exact bag here, but they have a few different handbags and some T-shirts too. I can't find an actual Web site run by Porter, just a bunch of resellers, most of whom don't carry the Invaders gear. Bring your wallet though - prices are $teep.

-Dan

[dan]

http://store.yahoo.co.jp/kmc/68-25701.html
They don't have that exact bag here, but they have a few different handbags and some T-shirts too. I can't find an actual Web site run by Porter, just a bunch of resellers, most of whom don't carry the Invaders gear. Bring your wallet though - prices are $teep.

-Dan

[la_haine]

ouch, thanks - bit more expensive than I was hoping for :/

[arc]

The characters of Jet Set Radio/Future, though wild, seem strongly influenced by Japanese street fashion as seen in the Phaidon book "Fruits"...

[yahya ar]

sex girl

[manpurse]

sorry, gotta weigh in on this because i am one of those dreaded cosplayers... ph33r, and all that. :D

to me, videogame fashion is a subniche of geek fashion, something i'm interested in. this does include cosplay, as carter mentioned. for me, cosplay is a combination of a) adoration for a character or b) love of a character's design. i use common sense--obviously, while seeing a badarse armored chica walking down the street would be awesome, it wouldn't exactly bode well for most people. ;D those are the types of outfits i wear to cons (woo!). stuff that looks like fashionable normal wear, like awesome dresses and such, i wear to school. only gamers realize what i'm wearing. :D

also, shirts and bags are definitely a part of the fashion. as weird a relationship i have with hot topic, i still want their fabu line of gaming shirts (in men sizes, of course ;b). a little hemming, and viola! cool new shirt. :D

video game fashion is cool. XD great topic.

[outsider]

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