This week, a look at how luxury footwear brand Manolo Blahnik is leveraging gaming to market to Gen Z.
Manolo Blahnik is the latest luxury brand targeting young consumers through a gaming partnership.
The brand is teaming with Drest, a 6-year-old mobile game that lets players style avatars with luxury products. The game relaunched at the end of last year with new brand offerings, including one allowing brands to partner on “quests.” Quests allow Drest users to complete interactive brand challenges and style avatars with brands’ items to unlock rewards and exclusive experiences.
In its partnership with Manolo Blahnik, running from January 16-30, the quest offers players an opportunity to virtually “own” iconic Manolo Blahnik styles. They can also navigate challenges that simulate real-world fashion styling, explore exclusive brand locations including its New York and Paris stores, and compete for a chance to win a $1,150 shopping spree or a physical pair of shoes by sharing their looks on social media.
“Drest offers a unique opportunity to style and discover Manolo Blahnik shoes from [a user’s] own home and on the move, wherever [they] are in the world,” said Kristina Blahnik, CEO of Manolo Blahnik. “[The game] allows us to connect with new or existing audiences in a different capacity. Some of the styles included in the quest have been in our collections for over 40 years, so it is only right that they transcend into a digital world.”
Fashion games have proven popular in recent years. Roblox’s Dress to Impress has garnered 5.6 billion visits since its 2023 launch, while The Sims 4, with over 30 million players, has released fashion expansion packs with brands such as Adidas, Moschino and Diesel. In addition, there are apps like 12-year-old Covet Fashion, with over 50 million downloads, and 11-year-old Stardoll, with 200 million registered users, which feature official partnerships with brands like Michael Kors, Saks Fifth Avenue, H&M and Chanel. Louis Vuitton and Burberry have created their own games, though their engagement faltered when their focus shifted to collections, according to data from gaming platform Geeiq.
“In other fashion games, the game element often dominates and fashion is just an afterthought,” said Lucy Yeomans, founder of Drest. “What sets us apart is that every time we develop a feature, we’re weaving together gaming strategy and fashion strategy. We’re not just trying to make a game; we’re making an experience that resonates with both the brand and the user.”
Drest has engaged its user base by hosting real-world event tie-ins like fashion week challenges, Fashion Awards-themed quests and new collection drops from brands. The platform does not disclose user numbers, but its iOS app has been downloaded more than a million times. Its Fashion Awards game saw demographics of 71% in the 18-39 age range and 50% in the 18-29 range. Drest generates revenue through in-app purchases, brand partnerships and advertising.
The gaming industry, once considered niche, now reaches billions of people around the globe. Nearly 50% of the global gaming population is female, according to data from gaming data platform Newzoo.
“Gaming isn’t just entertainment — it’s a way to connect with consumers in a deeply immersive way,” said Yeomans. “We want to take players on a journey. We want them to feel like they’re part of the fashion world, making decisions and experiencing the brand in a way that’s fun, aspirational and educational.”
For Drest’s partnering brands, consumer engagement is the goal. “Our hope is that, by entering the Manolo Blahnik world in the app, users will create a deeper connection with us and be more likely to join our community in the future across all touchpoints,” said Blahnik. “It is also wonderful to see how different generations style and interpret our shoes and bags — this always fascinates me.”
The Manolo Blahnik Quest, much like Drest’s quest with Versace in November, allows users to interact with the brand’s products. “The inclusion of our bags was important,” said Blahnik. “Each one is meticulously crafted to complete our shoe collections, but the category is lesser known than our shoes. Including these products in an interactive environment showcases the collection for a new audience to explore.” Other products featured included the brand’s Maysale and Campari shoes.
In the Versace campaign, over 1.5 million Versace items were tried on in-game, and more than 77% of players planned to visit a Versace store or online shop after completing the quest, according to Drest surveys conducted after the game.
Digital advertising on Instagram for fashion brands typically has a 1.65% engagement rate, according to the social media management platform Dash. As for email marketing, fashion brands see an average open rate of 15-25% and a click-through rate of 2-5%, according to a 2023 report by marketing platform EMB Global. Influencer-driven campaigns in the fashion industry often achieve engagement rates ranging from 2-6%, according to influencer platform Traackr.
“As we enter 2025, it is essential to ensure our online and offline strategies seamlessly fit together,” said Blahnik. “We always want to be where our customers are. They might discover us through an online channel, but this is just the start. Our hope is that they will join us on a longer-term journey, visit our stores as a destination and enjoy other cultural brand moments like exhibitions and events. … [In the Manolo Blahnik Quest], offering a physical prize and the opportunity for the winner to experience one of our stores felt like the perfect way to link the two worlds together.”
Manolo Blahnik posted a 30% decline in pre-tax profit to $16.7 million in 2023, impacted by the downturn in luxury spending.
Despite a 10% decline in global turnover, the company, aligned with expectations, anticipates a return of consumer confidence this year and has already expanded its direct to consumer channels in 2024, opening three stores in Hong Kong, its first mainland China store, and planning new flagships in Miami and Milan for later this year.
Yeomans noted that luxury brands have historically catered to a small, elite group of consumers, leaving the broader public to admire from afar.
“The idea of ‘exclusive for all’ is really key here,” she said. “We want to bring these high-end experiences to a broader audience, while still maintaining that sense of luxury. It’s about making people feel like they’re a part of something special. We’re seeing engagement times that are off the charts. In our quest event tied to the Fashion Awards [in December], users spent 1-4 hours engaging with the content.”
The Fashion Awards challenge on Drest boosted brand awareness, with 92% of users becoming more familiar with nominees and sponsors including Pandora. Meanwhile, the Quest’s winners got to meet Rihanna on the Awards’ red carpet, which they shared on Instagram.
Drest has secured partnerships with other luxury brands, as well as cultural institutions and influencers, that are set to be announced this year. The company’s data-driven approach, which analyzes player behavior and engagement, is a selling point for brands wanting to get involved.
“When we work with a brand, our job is to understand their strategic opportunities and challenges and create a bespoke experience to answer their needs,” said Yeomans. “The brands we work with understand that this is the future of engagement — they’re not just reaching a demographic, they’re inviting their audience into their world in an entirely new way.”
Richemont posts surprise jewelry boom
Richemont sparkled in the final quarter of 2024, according to earnings released on Thursday showing stronger-than-expected sales. Sales were fueled by a resurgence in U.S. demand for its brands and standout performances by its Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry lines. Revenue in its jewelry division, the company’s crown jewel and largest revenue driver, hit $4.8 billion, a 14% increase from the same period last year.
Across all divisions, sales rose by 10% to $6.6 billion, far outpacing predictions of just a 1% uptick by analysts. Growth was bolstered by high double-digit gains in the Americas and Europe.
Richemont’s “Other” business area, which includes its fashion and accessories maisons, reported a 4% increase in sales to $1.4 billion, consistent at both actual and constant exchange rates.
This growth was driven by strong performances from brands such as Alaïa and men’s golf brand Peter Millar. Peter Millar experienced continued strength, particularly in its Crown Crafted line and direct e-commerce sales. Alaïa achieved double-digit growth, bolstered by successful collections like the studded La Ballerine flat and the Le Teckel long shoulder bag.
Despite these positive developments, the “Other” business area recorded an operating loss of $56 million. The fashion and accessories maisons posted a 2% decrease in operating margin, reflecting ongoing strategic investments aimed at boosting the desirability and visibility of the maisons. These included acquisitions like the purchase of the jewelry brand Vhernier, as well as retail expansion, digital transformation, and increased marketing spending to enhance brand awareness and consumer engagement.
Notable store openings during this period included Peter Millar’s new location in Tampa and Gianvito Rossi’s boutique in Nanjing. Additionally, the Villa Serapian Ginza opened in Tokyo, further expanding the group’s retail footprint.
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