Grand Theft Auto Features Its First Fashion Label

By dressing three characters in the Polish label MISBHV, Grand Theft Auto V has featured its first fashion brand. This morning, the Warsaw-based label known for its Y2K-minded sportswear, posted three characters based on the real-life German DJs who make up the group Keinemusik: Adam Port, Rampa, and &ME. (The group is the resident DJs in the game’s underground club The Music Locker.) In the scene featuring MISBHV, the trifecta stepped off of a private plane to be greeted by fictional narcotrafficker Juan “El Rubio” Strickler at a beach party on an unnamed island off of the Caribbean. Each look fit the laidback Deutsche bro appeal of the group. The trio wore T-shirts, the most notable being Port’s, which was yellow and pink tie-dye and had “MISBHV KEINEMUSIK” on the chest. To celebrate the milestone, the brand wrote on Instagram: “Fashion means anything as long as it creates a feedback loop with reality. Virtual reality is a new and exciting form of this dialogue.” And to make it all the bit more interactive? Players will be able to purchase the MISBHV pieces at five clothing stores in the fictional city of Los Santos, as well as clothes from the Berlin-based Civilist, another label that makes a cameo on the group. 

Virtual reality and fashion have gone hand-in-hand this past year. Back in May, Animal Crossing: New Horizons released a virtual fashion week of avatars wearing clothing inspired by the likes of Prada and Loewe. More recently, Balenciaga released their Fall 2021 collection in the form of an actual playable video game that was viewable using an Oculus V.R. headset.

Fashion having a moment in Grand Theft Auto is particularly important. There are plenty of eyes on the game, which has enjoyed vast, commercial success. Since its inception in 1997, it has become the fourth-highest selling video game behind Pokémon, Tetris, and Mario Kart. Part of the appeal is that Grand Theft Auto has long added characters based on real people into the interface, giving us an oddball melange of celebrities ranging from producer Scott Storch and to musician Phil Collins. The cheeky touch gives the wildly popular game a cult-beloved effect, and has given birth to a slew of fan-based forum sites that document every detail, from types of vehicles and bicycles, to the radio stations played while driving. As fashion further merges with virtual reality, we should expect to see more labels featured in Grand Theft Auto, and more fans tracking down the credits.