Last year, I made it my mission to try out as many metaverse platforms as possible. Roblox was an obvious one, given its immense popularity. I became strangely addicted to a fashion store game where I had to build my own storefront and fill the store with garments, rails and changing rooms.
With the in-game money I earned from selling the garments, I could upgrade my store with more shelving and thus more stock. But the clothes were not all that thrilling, sadly, and it prompted me to pursue a more inspirational aesthetic within Roblox that I knew had to exist. Besides obvious brands like Nike and Balenciaga (not even going to go there) hopping onto the marketplace with a few wearables here and there, I was seeking something a little more authentic and unique.
Cue House of Blueberry: a bubblegum pop slash pastel-toned-enthused brand focused on creating the most gorgeous digital wearables for Roblox. I was fortunate enough to catch up with Alyssa (aka BunniBlossomss) who is the Community Manager for House of Blueberry, as well as a digital fashion designer. I wanted to learn more about her and why she chose Roblox as the platform to express her digital fashion identity.
In the beginning
An avid lover of fashion for as long as she can remember, Alyssa’s digital fashion career began about 10 years ago when she created avatar skins on Minecraft and Pixel Gun 3D. She soon moved over to Mini Carnival and then Roblox.
“I’ve always loved being able to express myself through my style whether it be digitally or in real life, and Roblox is ultimately what kind of amplified that,” Alyssa says. “When I found out about Roblox through a classmate, I was instantly hooked. I was more than eager to immediately immerse myself into what I considered ‘chatrooms’ on my first day, and take a look around. Before I knew it, Roblox had practically become a huge part of my life.”
Alyssa would browse Roblox’s catalogue and select outfits that had particularly unique traits and styles. “I remember being super excited to have owned things such as a lobster, a jellyfish, a shark, or even Christmas lights strung all over my head. I remember ALWAYS having to style an entire outfit around them. I mean, I knew how to rock that lobster hat,” she says.
“I’ve honestly never been able to keep the same avatar on for a week - not even nowadays.” #
Roblox gave Alyssa the opportunity to develop her own personal digital fashion style which she describes as “bold”. This bold sense of style stems from curating looks based on feelings, with Alyssa exploring numerous aesthetics as a way to communicate these emotions.
“I’ve always been completely unafraid to dress differently than others, and definitely used to stand out back when Roblox was way less diverse,” Alyssa says.
But, if she had to pick one style, it would be Alyssa’s “iconic Bun” style - a goth/punk/alt look which she has modelled her brand off of.
A blossoming creative
Music plays a major role in inspiring Alyssa to come up with ideas for her digital wearables. “I find that I have it on almost 24/7 and sometimes a song just instantly clicks. I get this image in my head, and I’m like, ‘Aw, yeah! I could do this, and this could be this way, and I could use this to do this’.”
Alyssa’s bold sense of digital style coupled with her unique creativity led her to House of Blueberry, a digital fashion brand that creates wearables for Roblox. In July 2022, the brand’s Director of Operations DMed Alyssa on Twitter, asking if she would like to join the team. At the time, Alyssa was working a minimum wage job and this opportunity was one she could not turn down.
“To be totally honest, it seemed way too good to be true at first,” she says. “Virtual fashion had simmered down to be simply a background hobby of mine and now all of a sudden I had the chance to turn it into a full-time career.”
The aspects of House of Blueberry that resonate with Alyssa the most are the brand’s focus on diversity as well as the details in the digital wearables. “It’s really refreshing to watch our fanbase grow as I begin to see more and more avatars styled with the newer, more realistic packages,” she says.
“House of Blueberry originated in Second Life, a platform where small details are much more precise. Bringing that kind of artistry into Roblox is something that’s definitely helped us thrive.”
Digital fashion role model
How to stay relevant and become well-known within a specialisation is something many of us struggle to achieve. The challenge of standing out and being recognised for one’s creations is something Alyssa has experienced too.
“I’ve honestly always felt like a little bit of an underdog,” she says. “My work would never really make it all that far. It took me years just for someone to look at me and know that I’m a fashion designer. For me, it’s not about competition but rather having that chance to teach and motivate others to freely express themselves without any social barriers.”
Despite the difficulties in overcoming this obstacle - one that has persisted for years for her - Alyssa offers a powerful piece of advice: “Just keep going”.
“Keep moving forward. Keep designing. Keep dreaming. Keep working,” she says. “The harder you work, the more you believe in yourself and envision a world with your spark in it, the closer you will get to igniting that spark and seeing it come to life in the real world. There were definitely points where I wanted to give up as I felt I was just a drop in the ocean but I persisted. Every single time I’d falter, I’d get right back up again and insist on moving forward.”