Longchamp goes hunting for Pokémon

The hunt for Pokémon is set to be more on trend than ever during the upcoming Fashion Week in Paris. Thanks to French accessories brand Longchamp, "Pokémon GO," the famous augmented reality video game -- which has been nothing short of a social phenomenon since its release in 2016 -- will be taking up residence in the French capital next month. And for good reason, the leather goods manufacturer is launching a whole collection featuring Pikachu, a worthy representative of 'kawaii' fashion, in a full reinterpretation of its emblematic bags.

Fashion and video games are a match that seems to be working pretty well these days. Not content to have invested in games such as "League of Legends," "The Sims," and "Animal Crossing" to provide users with ultra trendy avatars, luxury brands have also tapped into the catalog of virtual heroes and heroines to make them their new muses. Louis Vuitton is particularly notable for making the character from "Final Fantasy," Lightning, its new muse.

And this season, it's the universe of Japanese kawaii that has inspired Longchamp. The brand has announced the upcoming launch of a collection of Longchamp x Pokémon bags with the famous Pikachu creature as its mascot  on October 13 (October 9 in Japan). The famous character brightens up the Le Pliage collection in four variations, including versions in  black and white LGP canvas and embossed leather. 

"Our Le Pliage bag has become a platform where all the different aspects of Longchamp can be expressed and can also take us to unknown places. We hadn't explored entertainment and gaming before. It's a very inspiring world, particularly with Pokémon and its iconic mascot, Pikachu," outlined Sophie Delafontaine, Artistic Director at Longchamp.

Fans of the video game will also be able to discover a new accessory in the Pokémon GO store, a Longchamp virtual backpack, from October 2 to November 17. It's the perfect way to turn your avatar into a fashionista. And during Paris Fashion Week, gamers will also be able to hunt a selection of trendier Pokémon characters. The limited edition event will take place October 2- 8.