Influx

American Apparel is the latest brand to move into the world of Second Life. The brand will create its own island, complete with a beach resort where people will be able to hang out and chat. AA will also operate a virtual store, which has been designed in collaboration with the brand’s real world architect.

Although Second Life only has a population of 250,000, it’s a great place for brands to test and research ideas and good PR, so blogs like Influx write about them.

It will be interesting to see if AA will be able to compete with local merchants who operate in Second Life or if the brand power of AA will force them out of business. Fashion is the second biggest industry in Second Life.

The local merchants have the power of understanding the SL world, if AA simply offers the same clothes as it does in the real world, it probably will not be a success. To succeed, AA will need to play with the boundaries of its design.