Burberry brings its handbags to Roblox for $10 a pop

If you can’t afford a Burberry bag, you could try saving up your Robux. The fashion house has just announced a new collection of luxury handbags that exists only on the gaming platform Roblox. Designed by Samuel Jordan, whose pieces are already a hot commodity in the metaverse, the bags are based on Burberry’s iconic Lola bag.

The element of luxury — Five different versions of the Lola comprise the collection, each of which sports an outdoor-inspired design. The bags also come with a unique action for your character, such as levitating or dancing — and because virtual fashion design knows few boundaries, the bag’s elements extend beyond its standard shape. The watery blue “Hydro” bag is surrounded by bubbles, the cloudy white “Nimbus” version has fluffy clouds in its orbit, and butterflies perch on the flowery black “Bloom” bag’s handle.

On a platform with more than 50 million active users per day, “self-expression through digital fashion and personalization of avatars is an important part of their day-to-day experience on the platform,” said Christina Wootton, VP of Global Partnerships at Roblox. Whether or not that digital self-expression should include luxurious and exclusive handbags is up for discussion.

Burberry’s collection will be joining other luxury houses in the Roblox space, like Gucci, but just like IRL luxury, don’t expect an easy buy. According to Alexis Ohanian — entrepreneur, investor, and hubby of Serena Williams — a virtual Gucci bag in Roblox resold for 350,000 Robux, or about $4,115, which marks a $715 increase from its physical counterpart’s price. And as Ohanian pointed out with Gucci, it’s also worth mentioning that the Roblox Lola bags aren’t an NFT. They can’t be used on another platform and essentially have no value outside of the Roblox universe.

E-garments are all the rage — Fashion is fully embracing the metaverse these days. Brands from Nike and New Balance to Prada and Balenciaga are running full steam ahead, and Burberry already has a round of playable character NFTs under its belt.

Sales of the first two Lola bags began July 11, with the rest of the bags dropping every 24 hours until July 15. They can only be bought on the Roblox marketplace but can be worn throughout the game’s various experiences. Each bag retails for 800 Robux, or about $10, but if the Gucci venture is any indication, there’s a chance they could eventually be worth even more than Burberry’s bags in real life.