Snapchat Bitmoji will now wear Ralph Lauren

Bitmoji are about to get preppier.

Snapchat and the fashion label Ralph Lauren have entered into a new deal that will let users dress their Bitmoji in the brand’s signature polo-inspired duds. It’s a new kind of collaboration for Snapchat that shows how it’s working on creative ways to bring luxury brands into the playful app’s fold beyond traditional advertising.

Bitmoji are the cute animated avatars whose appearance users can customize to their liking. Snap, Inc. acquired Bitmoji-maker BitStrips Inc. in 2016. Bitmoji are now deeply integrated with the Snapchat experience, and Snap has been rolling out games, shows, and other app features that showcase the little guys over the last few years.

Users can customize their Bitmoji in most ways imaginable: hair, skin, face shape, clothing, accessories, accessibility options, and more. In 2019, Snap announced a new feature, called Mix and Match, that let users customize the tops and bottoms of their clothing, and not just pick standard outfits. 

The new Ralph Lauren “collection” will live within Mix and Match. Users seeking to raise the country club fashion game of their Bitmoji will be able to choose between six men’s and six women’s looks. Snapchat says the collection includes “classic double-breasted blazers, a branded racer jacket, a striped rugby shirt, and a vibrant track jacket.” But that’s not all, my horse sport-loving friends. Snap says “every polo shirt within the Bitmoji closet will be branded with the signature Ralph Lauren polo player logo.” Sorry, Lacoste!

Ralph Lauren might seem like a strange brand for an app with a strong Gen-Z user base. But its bright colors and retro vibe have made its pieces coveted components of preppy-meets-streetwear style.

Although this is Bitmoji’s first foray into branded fashion, Snap’s fashion world partnerships have gotten it attention before. Snap teamed up with Gucci on branded Spectacles, and an AR filter that lets users try on Gucci shoes. Usually, the more brands creep into an app, the cheesier it gets. But these collaborations have been just tongue in cheek enough to stave off the typical accusations that capitalism ruins everything.

Snap is planning to expand branded clothing for Bitmoji to include more partnerships, but doesn’t have plans to charge brands for this right now. The company is positioning this as more about exposure to a young audience in a fun way.

It also doesn’t have plans to let users shop for the IRL items their Bitmoji wear within the app (yet), but users can buy the same clothes that their Bitmoji wear on the Ralph Lauren website. What is that they say about life imitating avatars?