Rise of New Fashion Breed: Gamefluencers

Sorry skateboard culture, a new generation is in rise – the digital, online, click happy, above all indoor (!) generation. Oh, and the instainfluencers, there is a bad news for you too, time to cede the crown to the gamefluencers.

NOTE: This article was written in the summer of 2019, following Paris Fashion Week. It was deemed not correct or irrelevant by the fashion experts then. Very much embarrassed and confused, I hid it under files and archives, dusting it off only now. It’s a very relevant and unfolding horizon now for high/luxury fashion.

Italians famously “dabbed” when Milan got to host 2026 winter Olympics games. I bet they would do some “floss dancing” too but that is a hard one to master. Probably, it seems unrelated why I talk about dabbing and floss dancing while I am supposed to talk about the future of fashion. I am coming there.

Almost in that same week we observed stylistically highly blurred men’s fashion on the runways in Paris. The conclusion was easy to reach – we are about to have new breed of male shoppers who I will call “man a la moda”. I expect, high fashion will soon flood Instagram, immobilize the army of Instainfluencers to knead this “new type of voguish man”. Note to self, the streetstyle lover millennials were the exact consumer segment that pushed high fashion to bend its rules to lift the trend from streets into its runways (a.k.a skateboarding culture of Virgil Abloh) and painfully redefine its position between exclusivity and accessibility.

However, fashion houses are overlooking two major points – First, male millennials may liken to the idea of shopping along with their female buddies but they are not and will not be native “men a la mode”. By the time they go through psychological transformation, these engaging millennials will AGE out of target margin. It’s the next generation in line who is in capacity to be the native “man a la mode”. The second major point is related to the first one – if the next generation could be native voguish man – who are they? Do they relate to the outdoor inspired skateboarding culture? Are they Instaaddicted like their millenials predecessors?   

Here, I’ll refer to the first paragraph about dabbing and floss dancing – the characteristic moves or elements of the next generation in line that is growing up in a totally different reality. The humorous moves of this generation already charmed beyond millennials, the somber boomers to the point to be the signature move at Milan.  Before we know it, the z-gen and alpha generation, basically, dabbing and floss dancing school kids will make up a new consumer generation as they evolve into a whole new online culture that is alien to us that will mark the imminent change for fashion. The digital, online, click happy, above all indoor generation.

The increasing preference to stay “indoors” rather than go out to interact with the immediate outside world has seen the rise and reliance on online communities rather than a physical group of friends. This is the first sign of a potential shift in taste and consumer behavior. In these liquid times, what platforms does this generation turn to, to gather and create communities?

Apparently, these kids are too young to be on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Traditional platforms like TV, radio and print media can also be excluded as “relics of dinosaur age”. Ironically it’s clear then that YouTube and gaming platforms are where these kids socialize, build their communities and learn about the world.

This is the generation that will disrupt the tendencies and trends in streetwear styles as they will become obsolete in creating a new visual, stylistic and collective cultural identity. In its place youth culture will be influenced and shaped by online culture which will trickle down and be reflected in fashion and very different celebrity/influencer landscape.

Talking about the celebrity/influencer landscape – this is where soon major changes will start to take shape. The parallel reality that these kids have built is a whole new, agile and fast world that incorporates and builds on trending themes so effortlessly. Anything “trending” no matter in which platform gets integrated smoothly in a world dominated by three major players – Minecraft, Roblox and Minecraft gaming platforms.

What’s more is these platforms gave rise to a new type of idol– Youtube gamers, who record their gaming sessions and upload on their Youtube channels – these new sorts of stars range from some highly prolific gaming-turned musician Youtubers to strictly gaming Youtubers – from famously infamous Phewdiepie to Denise daily – gamefluencers. I am not judging the moral side of next generation growing up at the gaming platforms, just penning down my neutral observations.

This is not all – another type is the Youtube born musicians like Marshmellow and Alan Walker. I am not talking about numbers and stats – I am talking about their immense and decisive influence on rising pop culture. Musicians from my era– such as Shakira even Justin Bieber have millions of subscribers and views. But judging the taste and aspirations of z-gen and alpha kids, those numbers mean nothing. They are not the celebrities and stars that excite this new generation. These new sort of stars are quick to rise to stardom and will soon fight for the celebrity crown. What will make this fight harder for our Titan Instagram influencers is the flexibility and agility of new stars to pick on what is trending and incorporate or assimilate with ease to appeal to the interests and aspirations of the very tender and porous z and alpha generations. Evidently we are talking about another level of democratization. But just like in the case of Instagram – the early adopters will be a step ahead. Shall we get to see Minecraft, Roblox and Fortnite themes somehow make their way to the runways in Paris and Milan? What would be possible ways of collaboration with the new breed of celebrities and gamefluencers? What tactics high fashion would use to redefine its position between exclusivity and obsessions of the indoor culture? I am just curious.

This article was written in the summer of 2019 and deemed not correct or irrelevant by the fashion experts.