Wait… Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2 Now Modeling for Prada?!?

Final Fantasy has had some interesting crossovers in the past, with the two most recent being Bioware’s Mass Effect 3 with the N7 Armor as a downloadable armor for the main characters of FF XIII-2 as well as an Assassin’s Creed costume also available as a downloadable costume for FF XIII-2. However, I was made aware of a very….unique….crossover for Final Fantasy XIII with……Prada!?

In the latest issue of the men’s fashion magazine, Arena Homme+, there is a 12 page-feature starring Lightning, Noel, Sazh, and Hope as they wear outfits from the Spring/Summer men’s collection, posing as if they are part of a fashion shoot.  It’s certainly different enough that people from the video games and fashion lifestyles will be buzzing about this for the time being.

When asked about this crossover, Max Pearmain, editor of Arena Homme+, had this to say.

Our Spring issue focuses on a world of direction and escapism, and having a visually stunning videogame franchise such as FINAL FANTASY work alongside us and a leading fashion brand like Prada to create something so unique is incredible; I’ve always been interested by the power of videogames and their place in society, and the amount of work that’s gone into this project blows my mind. We’re incredibly pleased with the result.

Yoshinori Kitase, producer of Final Fantasy XIII-2, also had this to say regarding the partnership

The FINAL FANTASY series is known for its creativity and innovation; so working with Prada, a renowned fashion house with such beautiful clothing was a very exciting opportunity. The images we have been able to create together are vibrant and unique,

The images are certainly unique, and considering how Final Fantasy characters have been evolving in terms of visual appearance, I suppose it makes some sense to partner with Prada, even if it seemingly came out of nowhere, and the characters do feel at home as fashion models with their appearances. My personal favorite happens to be Sazh, that is funny.

What are your thoughts on this interesting partnership?