Balenciaga’s video game is the coolest way to do fashion week

Balenciaga is presenting its Fall 21 Collection in a video game they created called Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow

This season brands are thinking outside the box when it comes to Fashion Week, and no where is that more obvious than with Balenciaga's announcement that their FW 21 will be presented in a video game.

The innovative, already record-breaking video game 'Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow' has been designed especially for this season. The game and the collection imagine a near future by creating an allegorical adventure set in 2031.

Source: Balenciaga

Afterworld is accessible and shareable from any device, using the most advanced technology available for game hosting. According to the brand it sets a record for the "largest volumetric video project ever undertaken."

The game’s environments and characters are designed using cutting edge photogrammetry, creating an in-depth look at the new collection and the projected future in which it is intended to be worn. A theme of Balenciaga Fall 21 is human destiny, as seen by an interactive, gamified journey. 

A "hero avatar" advances throughout distinct zones, motivated by tasks and interactions. The narrative of Afterworld is anchored to mythological pasts and projected futures with timeless archetypes and speculative imagery. The world may appear to be decaying at first, but it is far from a dystopian view, showing instead the slow return to a healthier balance of nature and industry.

Players can eventually transcend Afterworld by beating the game. The reward is a real-life breathing exercise set in a virtual utopia. In the end, the hero has finally become (as it is referred to in Hero’s Journey analysis) a "Master of Two Worlds."

While we might not be able to enjoy fashion IRL, this move from Balenciaga ensures that we can all delve into a fashionable Afterworld.