Ralph Lauren launches a Fortnite fashion collab as retailers turn to “phygital” partnerships to lure younger shoppers
Old money, new digs… Ralph Lauren’s iconic horsey jockey is now riding a cartoon llama. Ralph Lauren and Epic Games’ Fortnite are teaming up on a physical and digital (#phygital) fashion line. The physical Polo Stadium Collection launches today on RL’s site (think: ’90s-themed polos and $70 hoodies). On Saturday, the digital collection is expected to hit Fortnite with avatar outfits priced about $6. Both collections feature Polo’s first redesigned logo (feat. Fortnite llama).
- For RL: With sales relatively flat over the past decade, the old-school retailer plans to raise prices and focus on new customers for growth. The prep star hopes to tap into Fortnite’s 400M users.
- For Fortnite: As gamers splurged on “Spider-Man” skins and accessories, Fortnite's “V-Bucks” virtual currency helped drive sales last year to a record $5.8B. Brand partnerships could help supercharge growth.
Pop the collar (in the metaverse)… Ralph Lauren is the latest fashion house to partner with popular online platforms as brands look to capitalize on digi-fashion. Last year Balenciaga became the first major fashion brand to launch a phygital collection with Fortnite (see: $725 hoodies). Meanwhile, Ralph Lauren made its digital fashion debut with “Polo Shops” in Roblox, which let players purchase digi-clothing for their avatars.
Retailers are bridging the “phygital” gap… Virtual-apparel collabs with brands like Disney's Marvel, the NFL, and Nike have already earned tens of millions of dollars for Fortnite. The metaverse allows traditional retailers like Ralph Lauren to reinvent their brands for a fresh audience. The times they are a-changin’: online transactions now make up a quarter of RL’s sales and could reach 33% in the next few years thanks to younger shoppers.