Longchamp Pokémon Backpacks: Nintendo's foray into the lucrative world of fashion

It hardly takes a prophet for us to surmise that Nintendo and fashion go hand-in-hand now, and if you need solid proof of that, look no further than the recently announced Longchamp Pokémon backpacks! After all, this very website is based on the prospect of offering you all sorts of fashionable Animal Crossing items. Nintendo clearly realized that they need to lean more heavily into this particular aspect of customization.

We've long-since suspected that this new approach to in-game fashion will soon extend to Nintendo's other properties. And, sure enough, there's Longchamp Pokémon merch incoming. How about that!

For those who might not be in-the-know, Longchamp Paris is a long-lasting French luxury leather goods company. These guys and gals have got plenty of pedigree behind them, and they know what they're about. To that end, it shouldn't be very surprising to see Nintendo go after the truly high-end gear for unique game promos.

Longchamp Pokémon backpacks: What, where, how, and - why?

A game such as Pokémon Go lives and dies by the tools which it provides its players with. We could spin the yarn for weeks if we were to discuss its various gameplay loops and systems, of course, but that's not what we're here to do (today). Instead, our focus lies squarely on fashion, and the simple fact that players are always yearning for more customization options in Go. This is normal! After all, who doesn't want their in-game Pokémon trainer to look sleek and snazzy in just the right way? It wasn't too long ago that the game got a pretty substantial customization expansion, but it should've been clear off the bat that Nintendo and Niantic weren't going to stop there.

It's simple: just take a look at how massively successful Animal Crossing: New Horizons' player-driven customization section turned out to be. It's not only fashion, of course, but with all sorts of real-world brands getting involved with Nintendo's IPs, it was only a matter of time before actual, genuine fashion made its way into Pokémon, too. Where better than in an augmented reality game?

And that's where we are now: with Longchamp Paris producing in-game customizations for Pokémon Go! Granted, for the time being, it's just one backpack, but there's little doubt in our minds that this is only the beginning.

How to get the Longchamp Pokémon backpacks?

First things first, here's the official statement from the developers, Niantic, themselves: "In celebration of the exciting accessories coming out of the collaboration between The Pokémon Company and Longchamp Paris, as well as the beginning of Paris Fashion Week, we’re proud to announce that a new avatar backpack accessory item will be available in Pokémon GO," they said. "That’s not all—some fashionable Pokémon will be appearing in the wild, challenging Trainers in raids, and hatching from Eggs, too!"

If you were looking for further insight as to what's up with this collab, there you go. The exact time at which we expect for the event to go live is following: 

• Friday, October 2, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. to Thursday, October 8, 2020, at 10:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7)

As for the update's features, here's what you should expect come next month:

• Special Pokémon wearing costumes will be appearing during the event!
• Smoochum that hatch from 7 km Eggs during this time will appear wearing a bow!
• Kirlia wearing a top hat will be appearing in raids! They’ll also know the move Draining Kiss.
• Shinx wearing a top hat will be appearing in raids!
• Croagunk wearing a backwards cap will appear in GO Snapshot as a surprise encounter! They may also rarely appear in the wild.
• The following Pokémon will be appearing in the wild: Mareep, Skitty, Roselia, Kricketot, Croagunk wearing a backward cap, Blitzle, Cottonee, Minccino, Gothita, and more!
• If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny Kricketot!
• Enjoy exclusive Field Research for the duration of the event.
• Dress up for fashion week—in person and in-game! Be sure to head to the shop for a free Longchamp avatar item in Pokémon GO. Then, you can match with your Trainer avatar by picking up the same Longchamp item in stores. For more information on availability, please visit the official Longchamp website.

So, yes, you will need to buy the unique Longchamp backpack with in-game Pokémon Go currency, but we do believe that this is merely a sign of things to come. With the massive Fall Update for Animal Crossing on the horizon, who knows what sort of things might Nintendo be cooking on the topic of fashion.

Stay tuned!