CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund partners with mobile styling game

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, which supports the next generation of American fashion talent, is partnering with new mobile fashion styling game Fashion League.

The free-to-play mobile game from Finfin Play AG created by Theresia Le Battistini will debut during New York Fashion Week in September. It blends fashion, inclusivity and e-commerce and allows players to customise, style and dress their own 3D avatar, no matter the size, skin tone or gender, to compete in fashion challenges and play with others to grow their fashion empire.

The partnership will kick off with a four-week ‘Fashion Fund’ activation featuring styling challenges, game locations, and backdrops within the Fashion League world inspired by this year’s 10 finalists, as well as prominent personalities from the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund selection committee, who will appear as non-player characters to enhance the storyline and narration of the event.

In addition, each finalist will design a signature look in the game to promote their collections. The 2024 Fashion Fund winner, to be announced in October, will receive a dedicated virtual store within the game showcasing additional exclusive catwalk looks.

Mobile styling game Fashion League to launch this autumn featuring designs from CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists

Steven Kolb, chief executive of the CFDA, said in a statement: “Collaborating with Finfin Play on Fashion League allows us to showcase the incredible talent of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund designers in a new and innovative way, reaching a broader audience and engaging with fashion enthusiasts in the gaming community.

“And, as the Fund celebrates its 20th anniversary, this partnership honours the past while looking forward to the future of fashion.”

The partnership will continue in 2025, with additional initiatives launching in January to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, including a special limited-time event with alumni brands inspired by iconic moments from their respective time in the Fashion Fund programme.

Theresia Le Battistini, chief executive and founder of Finfin Play AG added: “We’re thrilled to merge the physical world of fashion with the gaming universe through our partnership with the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.

“This collaboration celebrates emerging talent and enables designers to connect with and understand their clients better through valuable data.”

In 2023, the number of global gamers surpassed 3.38 billion and generated 187.7 billion US dollars in revenue, explains the game developer. In addition, over 50 percent of gamers would buy real-world items from within a game and global consumers now spend over 1 trillion hours playing games, outpacing social media.

Fashion League is looking to establish a new benchmark by creating a new revenue stream for designers by giving their designs exposure to a wider, potentially new audience.