After working on several DARK SOULS collections with both Level Up Wear and ARK/8, we decided to embark on a very different journey with the new ARK/8 approach. Instead of elevated merchandise, we wanted to offer an uncompromising collection of high-end streetwear pieces based on seminal works in gaming, and pop culture as a whole. And with its massive ambitions of expanding dramatically on the "Souls" formula, ELDEN RING was the perfect partner for that.
What we didn't know at the time, was how much time it would take us to realise our upgraded ambitions and find our new direction. Everything needed to change at the same time for the better: better fabrics, more complex designs, new local suppliers,...the list is long.
our process
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First of all: wow! I can't believe we finally made it. The development process of this ELDEN RING inspired collection started in late 2021, a few months before the release of the game...
— Dimitri van Eetvelde, Creative Director
It took us over 2 years, countless design meetings and over 150 designs that we ended up scrapping (sorry Bandai Namco!) to arrive here.
At some point, there were so many reworks and new creative directions that I thought we would never make it. That we had put ourselves in a hole we would never be able to climb out of.
Somehow though, in early 2023, about 6 months after our move from Brussels to London and with a reinforced design team, we found our beat.
ELDEN RING was going to be approached not from a traditional asset/graphic perspective, but from a texture, world immersion angle.
We started exploring the meta, and the universe of the game more than the characters, bosses or individual elements. We went for the broken, destroyed aesthetic of the Tarnished, and scouted all the beautiful locations of The Lands Between. Playing hundreds of hours helped tremendously, as it became clear that our collections would be a lot more focused on being infused with the game's art and general atmosphere than it's individual parts.
Immersion became the keyword. Wear the world, and let it become your world.
Lastly, we wanted the collection to feel like it had a strong, recognisable imprint. That it would feel quintessentially ARK/8. But since we were still building what that meant simultaneously, it was a true challenge. Here are a few words from our head of design Dobin Moon summarising this:
"As we were concepting we wanted to make sure the designs gave a nod to the mysticism of the game but at the same time emulate what is happening in streetwear at the moment. This is why a lot of the garments have this oversized feel contrasted by the form fitting silhouettes of the more feminine pieces like the dress. We always want ARK/8 designs to have an element of weird so it’s not your standard garment, whilst still being wearable - it gives the clothing our embedded Identity."
— Dobin Moon, Head of Design
This collection is the result of a sustained collaborative effort made by a small but very dedicated team, and we are proud to finally be able to share it with you.
To many more!
Elden Ring Dress worn by Jasmine Asia
Creative DirectionDimitri van Eetvelde
Head of DesignDobin Moon
Junior DesignerGeorge Deeming
Head of Production and DevelopmentAlexandrine Jublot
StylingLottie Coll
StylingFanny Van de Wijngaert
PhotographyAidan Zamiri
Art DirectionEliott Duckers