These days, the phrase “all dressed up with nowhere to go” is especially relevant. This is why, over the last four months, many have taken to wearing designs from the likes of Simone Rocha and Maison Margiela in the world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Nintendo’s life simulation game where players live on an island of their making. And just in time for the weekend, Betsey Johnson has joined in on the fun.
On Friday, the iconic designer announced the release of three dresses to download on the popular game, each of which is perfect for any occasion, from attending a birthday party of a neighbor to tending your garden. All three dresses are digital replicas of real pieces from Betsey Johnson’s latest collection and are available for purchase IRL on the designer’s website, too.
“I love how Animal Crossing lets you be whoever you want to be,” Johnson says. “It’s been such a fun way to pass the time during quarantine, and it’s the escape we all need right now. The only thing it was missing was a little Betsey, so we sprinkled some in!”
There’s a summer-ready white eyelet wrap dress, styled a pair of white gardening boots à la Prada; a strapless, hot pink, taffeta dress, paired with, of course, a tiara, as well as white embroidered tights and matching pink Mary Janes; and a very elegant lavender tea-length number that Johnson edged up with sparkly purple tights, polka dot Mary Janes, and an oversized pair of sunglasses that would’ve fit right in with Harry Styles’ collection from the “Watermelon Sugar” video.
Johnson is not the first designer to venture into the virtual world of Animal Crossing. These days, as our fancier real-life wardrobes remain untouched due to quarantine, the inhabitants of Animal Crossing are dressing in full form, wearing everything from Gucci to Commes des Garçons, Marc Jacobs, and Valentino. What’s more, Reference Festival, a Berlin-based fashion organization, put together the first Animal Crossing runway show, while Sandy Liang hosted a pop-up.
Hey #BetseyBabes! 💕 You can now make your #AnimalCrossing character extra cute in #BetseyJohnson dresses! Go on an adventure while lookin’ fab in this cute piece. Refer to the thread for full codes. 😉 pic.twitter.com/wWnyShTZRn
— Betsey Johnson (@xoBetseyJohnson) July 17, 2020
Instagram accounts like @animalcrossingfashionarchive, @crossingtherunway, and @nookstreetmarket have also sprung up, showcasing the sartorial prowess of the game’s fashion-minded players. In fact, it was Vivian Loh, Michele Yue, and Fernanda Ly of Nook Street Market that worked with Johnson to create the digital reproductions of all three aforementioned dresses.
Codes for all three Betsey Johnson Animal Crossing looks will be released over the next three weeks on the designer’s Instagram and Twitter accounts, starting with the hot pink dress. Meanwhile, you can purchase the real thing online at BetseyJohnson.com.
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