Patterns and pixels have come together in a new collaboration between menswear e-tailer Frank & Oak and Montreal-based videogame designer Ubisoft. The new partnership features a line of clothing and accessories inspired by Ubisoft’s upcoming game, Watch Dogs.
One of the new t-shirts inspired by Watch Dogs
Ethan Song, co-founder and creative director for Montreal-based Frank & Oak, said the collection took about four months to assemble. It was actually completed last fall, but was put on hold when Ubisoft pushed back the release date for Watch Dogs from November until next month.
The 12-piece collection includes t-shirts, denim shirts and a patterned sweater featuring raw and worn details and textures intended to evoke the feel of the Watch Dogs world. Other items, including a baseball cap and duffle bag, feature “subtle” graphic details from the title.
“It’s a line that captures the essence of the game,” said Song. “It’s not meant to be promotional or replicate any of the products in the game, it’s meant to be a reflection of that world.”
Song said the collection is aimed at the “creative 30-year-old,” which he described as urban men interested in design and the digital world. Prices range from $32 for the tees to $115 for a canvas duffle bag.
While Frank & Oak has previously collaborated with fashion retailer Little Burgundy on a line of shoes and bags, as well as the Montreal band Chromeo, the Ubisoft partnership represents the first time it has collaborated with a media/entertainment brand. (A feature in Marketing‘s April 2014 issue on Frank & Oak further explores the company’s business model.)
Song said videogames are playing an increasingly important role in shaping fashion trends, a role that has traditionally fallen to film and TV. “Whether it’s designing clothing in a digital world or being inspired by the digital world, there will be a lot more of those kinds of relationships going forward,” he predicted.
Song said the company will take a “specific and selective” approach to future collaborations, with an eye to creative opportunities. “There will be more, but we’d rather make them really interesting than do too many of them,” he said.
