Move over, Microsoft. There’s a new company selling clothes that evoke old technology. Loewe, a Spanish fashion company that produces very expensive clothing, is paying homage to Minecraft-like pixel art with a recently released clothing line that makes you look like you pulled the clothes out of a retro game and put them on your 3D body.
If you’re a retro gamer (and especially if you’re the type of retro gamer who uses a modern TV), you may encounter pixel art a lot. The low-res look is so popular that today Minecraft and other modern games swear by it. And now Loewe expects people to pay thousands to dress up as part of a retro reality.
According to The Verge, Loewe announced the Pixel collection at Paris Fashion Week in October. He now lists items on his website, including a $2,500 sweatshirt, $ 3,400 handbag, $ 2,500 pants, $1,850 T-shirt, and a $790 denim skirt.
There are clothes, including Minecraft-branded pieces with pixelated texture printed on them, but the standout hoodies and shirts from the Loewe range create an effect with jagged, bold black edges, creating an effect as confusing as it is unique. Loewe describes the pieces as having “two-dimensional construction around the seams”and, in the case of hoodies, a kangaroo pocket and cuffs.
Other pieces, such as duchesse silk satin trousers and a logo T-shirt, offer fabrics with prints that look like pixels for a virtual effect.
What’s great about this clothing line is that apart from the branded t-shirt, it doesn’t focus as directly on corporate advertising. We have fun looking at Microsoft’s annual ugly sweater, and while these items evoke warm, fluffy feelings of nostalgia, they’re also a form of Microsoft branding. We’ve also seen other high fashion brands embrace technology but combine it with a healthy dose of co-marketing (see Balenciaga’s Fortnite clothing line). Loewe’s collection is receiving cheers for not necessarily turning wearers into walking billboards for tech brands.
Of course, the Loewe lineup loses its sense of practicality and modesty with its four-figure prices and outrageous designs. However, they are still worth looking at.