Streetwear for Gamers: Esports Group Andbox Launches Apparel Collection

Gossamer rip-top windbreaker jackets. Limpid hooded sweatshirts. Center muscle tees. Nylon lounge pants. 

Natty esports players and fans might be wearing such fashions this season, thanks to Monday’s apparel launch by Andbox, which operates teams in professional video-gaming leagues. 

Maxwell Osborne of Public School, who also serves as Andbox creative director, designed the collection with an eye toward current streetwear trends and the specific needs of the esports community.

See a gallery of images here: 

“Our inspiration was to create a line of products that were functional for gamers,” Osborne says. “For example, we used nylon on the back of the arm on our sweatshirts to allow for easy movement when dragging your arm against a desk. We also played with color as a building block throughout this collection in a way that captures the essence of Andbox and playfulness of gaming.”

Andbox operates the New York Excelsior (NYXL), a founding franchise in Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League, and the group will also field a team in Activision’s upcoming Call of Duty competition.

One especially noteworthy and apparently self-deprecating item is a $15 medieval-blue Andbox-branded surgical mask. We’re told it’s “made of a poly-elasthane fabric blend with a carbon lining that loops behind the ear to protect you from the elements while out exploring the world.”

C’mon, gamers, you’ve gotta turn off those screens and go outside sometime. Don’t you?

Mother Design, a unit of ad agency Mother, created Andbox’s bold visual identity—large, funky logos and splashy colors—which informs the clothing line.

“Since we always knew apparel and merchandise were going to be a major part of the Andbox world, we specifically tested our ideas and design system—logos, color palette, typography—against product, which then influenced, and can be felt throughout, this unique first collection,” says Danielle Horanieh, managing director at Mother Design. 

It seems like every fast-food chain, media brand or consumer product of any kind tries a fashion extension these days. Of course, gaming-themed merch has been popular for years. Against that backdrop, and with estimates of 300 million active gamers worldwide, an esports clothing launch should come as no surprise.

“There has been a massive void in the market when it comes to apparel, especially products geared toward female gamers,” says Andbox vp of consumer products Collette Gangemi. “Through NYXL, we’ve watched the gaming community closely to understand what they want and need, and by releasing this collection, we looked to create high-quality items that both look and feel great, but also allow gamers to express themselves.”

Of course, there’s an Andbox pop-up shop set to open in Casey Neistat’s “368” studio at 368 Broadway in NYC’s Tribeca neighborhood from July 26-28.

Lots more pics of the collection below: