The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Brazilian footwear brand Havaianas is launching a flip-flop-shaped island within the online video game Fortnite. A virtual selection of the brand’s products will also be available to Fortnite’s 350 million players worldwide as part of the deal.
The Havaianas Summer Island will feature the brand’s famous flip-flops with prints inspired by some of the most iconic elements of the game, including the Unicorn Llama Pickaxe; one of the game’s most famous assets; and the Battle Bus, which players need to reach the Fortnite arena.
Havaianas is the latest fashion name to join Fortnite amidst a growing trend of fashion and beauty brands vying for a slice of the $162 billion gaming industry pie.
In 2019, sportswear giants Adidas and Nike took a stab at Fortnite’s virtual fashion success, offering exclusive products in its in-game shop. This week Puma also announced that Brazilian football player Neymar Jr would appear in Fortnite with his latest collaboration for the brand.
Luxury names like Louis Vuitton and Gucci have also entered the gaming and e-sports realm in recent years. The first designed prestige skins for League of Legends in 2019 and the second released dive watches with e-sports organisation, Fnatic. Meanwhile, Valentino, Marc Jacobs and Anna Sui all linked with Animal Crossing in 2020 to offer in-game looks.
Reliance plans to open top-end luxury mall in Mumbai with LVMH and Kering brands set to open stores, marking retail expansion for brands in India.
This week’s round-up of global markets fashion business news also features South African clothing retailer Woolworths, Bahraini asset manager Investcorp and Indonesia’s threats to curb TikTok Shop.
Reliance Industries and Tata Group have launched multi-brand beauty retailers Tira and Tata Cliq Palette respectively in a challenge to incumbents like Nykaa, Purplle and Sephora.
This week’s round-up of global markets fashion business news also reveals the succession plan for an Indian retail billionaire, Kenya’s strategy to revitalise its textile industry and forced labour in Turkmenistan’s cotton harvest.