Ralph Lauren Launches Fortnite Digital Apparel

Ralph Lauren is expanding into gaming and the metaverse by lending its Polo brand to Fortnite’s character customization roster.

On Monday (Oct. 31), Fortnite announced that it partnered with the fashion brand to create the Polo Stadium Collection Set. This item set includes new outfits, Back Blings and more for players of the metaverse game to use on their avatars.

The clothing features a mashup of the Polo logo with its iconic jockey, but instead of riding a traditional horse, the jockey is riding the Fortnite llama.

This marks the first time in 55 years that the company has allowed its logo to be redesigned.

In a September PYMNTS data report, “Navigating the New eCommerce Landscape: Modernizing Payments for Marketplaces, Gaming, the Metaverse and Beyond”, we explored the growth of traditional brands into the new eCommerce landscape, which requires seamless payments in every virtual environment through methods such as microtransactions.

Ralph Lauren and Fortnite are taking advantage of these microtransactions through their partnership, with the Polo Stadium Collection Set being available for purchase in the Fortnite Item Shop starting Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. ET through Nov. 12, for around 1500 VBUX, Fortnite’s in-game currency, or about $6.

Chief Branding and Innovation Officer David Lauren said, “[Young people are] not going to walk into a store like their parents did, so we want to create something joyous where the brand can be discovered in a fresh light.”

“It’s not about selling millions,” he said, “it’s about selling to a targeted audience of influencers.”

Read more: From Roblox to Red Sox, 55-Year-Old Ralph Lauren Is Reinventing Itself

High fashion company Ralph Lauren started this trend of moving into the digital age to reach a new demographic back in February, with the company telling investors at the time that it was aggressively seeking new, young customers that skateboard, play Roblox in the metaverse, and wear other logos from professional sports teams such as the Boston Red Sox.