Game companies are allergic to making fashionable merch — so fans stepped in

When I say “iconic video game fashion,” you might think of Tifa Lockhart’s breezy crop tank top and braces look, or the high-fashion mask and jacket style worn by Kidney automatons‘s 9S. You might think of the trendy T-shirts and school jackets worn by characters in the Persona franchise, Animal Crossing’s signature billiard ball tees, or Splatoon’s over-branded hypebeast looks. You might even think about how you’ve decked out your own FinalFantasy 14 or World of Warcraft character.

Video game designers and artists meticulously build in-game cosmetics to be trendy, fashionable, and in some cases, functional pieces of clothing. For gamers interested in infusions that aren’t as boring as Phil Spencer’s blazer, tee, and jeans, it’s fascinating to keep track of how real-world influences affect in-game cosmetics.

But if life influences the art in these designs, shouldn’t art influence life? That’s why it’s so disappointing that in many cases even the most ready-made game designs aren’t available to buy as merchandise. Some brands collaborate with external designers and stores such as The Yetee, Insert coinAnd Fangamer to recreate specific in-game looks, but for the most part, the fashion options offered by game companies are just lofty promotional items. However, what many fashion-forward gamers really want is to express themselves in the same way their favorite games allow.

If you want to wear your favorite video game looks, you usually have to roll up your sleeves and make them yourself. I have been there. When Splatoon 3 launched, I was so impressed with the designs that I upcycled both a Five Four bomber jacket and a Karl Lagerfeld hoodie to create Splatoon-inspired pieces I could wear every day. Nintendo didn’t make them, so I took matters into my own hands with a Cricut Explore Air 2, some SVG files, and a dream in my heart.

And I’m not the only one.

There are plenty of designers replicating and repeating iconic video game looks, making them available to gamers when bigger brands don’t.

Skip Barden’s Etsy shop SkipDraws is full of Splatoon gear, from Toni Kensa rugs to recreations of the holographic stickers you can use to decorate your in-game locker, and plush toys – highlighted by flawless reproduction of Splatoon 3‘s Tentatek Tandem T-shirt. Speaking of their inspiration, they expressed disappointment that, at least outside of Japan, official re-creations of in-game looks are very hard to come by, especially for a game series like Splatoon. that is so centered around wearable, modern and functional style.

“It is absolutely frustrating to see so many insanely cool and talented designs in the game with only a few of them being translated into actual clothing! The design and aesthetics are a big part of Splatoon’s core in my opinion, so it really sucks to see that everywhere Splatoon 1, 2, And 3there have been [few] merchandise options that actually look like in-game items and clothing.

This is all the more striking considering that when Nintendo actually do release Splatoon merch inspired by in-game items, the results are usually pretty good. The limited-edition Final Fest t-shirts from Splatoon 2 are high quality and fashionable, and Barden specifically mentions the Tri-Shred T-Shirt sold exclusively at Nintendo stores in Japan.

“I really love Nintendo’s replication of this design,” they say, “but I want more designs, more options, and definitely don’t want to wait for Nintendo to make my favorite designs when they probably won’t and I can do it myself ! […] The Tentatek Tandem T-shirt was my favorite from the moment I saw it, so I knew I had to start with that to give me something exciting and fun to work on.

Photo courtesy of Skip Barden

“The way I select the designs is hard to explain, as I feel like it’s made up of a lot of subconscious decisions, but mostly I choose the one I find most visually appealing and interesting, as well as what I think about myself and others can imagine actually wearing out and over. I want Splatoon fans to feel like they’re really part of the universe, without that feeling going away when they leave the game.”

Jacqueline Yanez, another talented designer who is heavily inspired by the world of gaming, echoes this sentiment. Her Twitter account boasts fashionable artwork and patterns that repeat on in-game designs and characters, translated by a personal style heavily inspired by her culture as a first-generation Latina.

“Growing up, I was exposed to a lot of art that one would consider ‘Mexican maximalism,'” says Yanez. “People tend to dismiss maximalist art as an incomprehensible, cluttered mess, but that’s no less true. I mean, yes, the work is busy, but a lot of care and attention has gone into the colors, the spacing of the elements, and the overall flow of the piece.

While her designs aren’t one-to-one recreations or adaptations of in-game fashion, she’s still guided by the philosophy of “if I can’t find it, I might as well make it”. She mentions that she doesn’t blame Nintendo, Disney, The Pokémon Company or others for not making these products – after all, they’re all bound by pretty restrictive style guides – and as a designer herself, this creates an opportunity for her to create the designs that she would like to wear. This also allows her characters to take the spotlight (she specifically mentions Pokémon’s Trubbish and Minior, both of which are in the spotlight in cartridges) that don’t get much of the spotlight in official merchandise.

Photo courtesy of Jacqueline Yanez

There is often a disconnect between the merchandise produced by IP owners as promotional materials and the fashions people want to wear. Games like Splatoon, Animal Crossing, FinalFantasy 14and hell, even Fortnite have put so much effort into designing hundreds if not thousands of in-game pieces that allow gamers to express themselves in fashionable, trendy and unique ways. It’s part of what draws people to those games in the first place.

“Gamers don’t have a drip” is a (earned!) refrain on Twitter every time the summer press conferences begin. But given the stylish way they outfit themselves in their favorite games, the problem may not lie with the gamers themselves. Given the tools to be creative and fashionable, we jump at the opportunity, but if anything that’s marketed to us in terms of real-life wearables, T-shirts with dirty slogans on themcan we really be surprised if that’s what people wear?

Game companies could solve this problem by working with designers and manufacturers to replicate in-game designs that spark creativity and interest in fashion. This would help gamers dip their toes into the fashion world with a lower barrier to entry, and help them figure out what their personal style really is. Sega has already done this with great success by partnering with Insert Coin to recreate designs of their games, from the Ono Michio long sleeve shirt from Yakuza6 Unpleasant Ryuji’s hoodie from Person 5. The speed at which these designs sell out and need to be replenished speaks to the fact that this is something gamers want. We want to be able to express ourselves through our clothes like we can in our favorite games, not just walking through billboards. And until more video game companies figure out that there’s always Etsy. Or your sewing machine. Or your Cricut.