'It’s a way to live out fantasies': how Animal Crossing became fashion's new catwalk

The biggest video game of lockdown has become a new home for fashion lovers where avatars can dress in Prada, Off-White or Sports Banger hoodies

Nintendo's Animal Crossing, the best-selling game of the coronavirus pandemic, has become an unlikely outlet for fashion fans in lockdown. Avatars have been wearing bootleg creations inspired by Prada, Gucci, Chanel and Thierry Mugler catwalk looks or created specifically for the virtual world by designers including Marc Jacobs, who has created a six-strong collection for the game, and Valentino.

There are various ways to attain new clothes in this soothing cyber society in which players can pick fruit and make friends with anthropomorphised animals. The Able Sisters, a tailor shop in the game that is run by two hedgehogs, has become as talked about in some quarters as Harvey Nichols. Here players can buy" anything from pleather masks to neon tights using the game's currency of bells.