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Watch Dogs gets real-world clothing line

Dress like Aiden Pearce with a new 12-piece capsule collection that includes denim shirts, sweaters, hats, and hoodies.

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Video game publisher Ubisoft and men's clothing company Frank & Oak today announced a partnership for a special line of real-world apparel inspired by the upcoming open-world game Watch Dogs.

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The 12-piece capsule collection includes the following clothing and accessories.

  • Printed denim shirts ($55)
  • Waffle henley ($42)
  • Black canvas pant ($65)
  • Patterned sweater ($65)
  • French terry hoodie ($65) feature raw and worn details and textures
  • Crew neck tees ($32)
  • Baseball cap ($35)
  • Military canvas duffle ($115)
  • Distressed v-neck pocket tees ($32)

Ubisoft previously partnered with Musterbrand for Assassin's Creed-inspired clothing. Notably, Musterbrand is also selling Watch Dogs clothing, like a $200 Vigilante jacket based on the coat that main character Aiden Pearce wears in the game.

The limited edition Watch Dogs clothing line is available today, April 23, from Frank & Oak's website. The items aim for a "dark and mysterious near-future aesthetic," but what exactly does that mean?

We caught up with Frank & Oak CEO Ethan Song to help us make sense of it all.

GameSpot: How did you go about capturing the spirit/essence of Aiden Pearce for your Watch Dogs clothing collection?

Ethan Song: To capture the spirit of Aiden Pearce for the Watch Dogs Capsule Collection, we worked very closely with Ubisoft's creative directors and viewed early versions of the game to understand the near-future universe they created.

"I think that video games that are realistic, believable, and relatable will definitely influence the way people dress" -- Frank & Oak CEO Ethan Song

While we didn't try to replicate the clothing Aiden Pearce wears in the game, we did try to capture the essence of his character. The collection we ultimately developed has a gritty, dark aesthetic with a worn and lived-in feel that captures the complexity of his vigilante character.

GS: What kinds of visual references did you use when drafting designs?

ES: Watch Dogs has a near-future feel, and we were definitely inspired by visual references from within the game itself. For the collection, we paired different textures and darker shades to keep the looks interesting while also capturing the edginess of Aiden Pearce.

GS: What challenges did you face in the process?

ES: When you create clothing inspired by a video game, it’s important to find the right balance between something that's wearable and something fans of the game will appreciate. We tried to be subtle, but still capture the essence of Watch Dogs with recognizable elements from the game.

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GS: Was this your first clothing line based on a video game? If so, what was it like working with a massive company like Ubisoft?

ES: Yes, this was our first clothing line inspired by a video game. From the beginning, we shared a vision with Ubisoft's team: create fashion/lifestyle products inspired by Watch Dogs, but not replicating the game. From there, the creative direction was really up to us.

GS: How much creative freedom were you allowed in the process?

ES: We had the freedom to work on the imagery, the feeling, and the look of the collection, while still respecting the feel of the game. When it came to designing and producing the clothing itself, Ubisoft fully trusted our expertise.

GS: Like you say, fashion is often inspired by pop culture, but we haven't seen many successful clothing extensions from video games to date. Do you foresee a future where someone like Aiden Pearce from Watch Dogs, who is more fashionably relatable than a character like Mario, becomes a fashion icon that inspires men to dress like him?

ES: Music and film have been major inspirations for fashion, and the digital world--because it's so immersive--has the potential for that, too. I think that video games that are realistic, believable, and relatable will definitely influence the way people dress.

Watch Dogs launches May 27 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. The Wii U version, which is definitely not canceled, is coming sometime later.

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