All this talk about wearable tech can become chaotic and too much to consume at times, but every now and then we come across a product that piques our interest. Today, two items caught our attention as we prowled our news feeds – mostly because we’re suckers for a good collaboration and we’re equally obsessed with photography.
As wearable technology persistently searches for its place in mainstream fashion, attempts are often foiled by the lack of connection between style and function. Customers are lured in by the novelty of what wearables are capable of; but they are put off by bulky, obvious and unattractive hardware that they refuse to wear in public. Talk about not getting your cost per wear, Google Glass comes with a $1,700 price tag!
The industry is getting closer to identifying market needs as they learn from the mistakes of fellow innovators as well as their own. In our two examples, Lulu Guinness incorporated her signature design aesthetic with the functions of a camera and Google has the money in the bank to once again partner with Diane von Furstenberg to add some style to Glass.
A look from the Diane von Furstenberg Resort 2015 collection featuring DVF Made for Glass
Lulu Guinness, the iconic handbag designer, created the Archive Eyes bag for her autumn/winter 2014 collection. Aesthetically, we adore the cutesy design and versatile shape. Functionally, this small wonder has much to offer the picture-taking, selfie-obsessed public.
Designed in collaboration with camera company, Autographer, the limited edition bag packs a lot of features into its tiny frame including:
- 5-mega pixel automatic camera
- Capability of taking up to 2,000 images per day
- 8 GB storage limit
- Storage for up to 16,000 images
- Hands-free operation
Even more appealing, the camera is capable of monitoring light, motion, direction, color and temperature to automatically take shots as conditions change. Applications for iPhone and Android provide sharing and location capabilities. The bag will retail at around $665 US from Lulu Guinness stores in July.
Photo: Lulu Guinness
Next up. the triple-threat collaboration between Diane von Furstenberg, Net-A-Porter, and Google on… you guessed it, Google Glass. Google and DVF have teamed up before, but with Net-A-Porter added to the mix, this piece of wearable tech is determined to reach the online luxury set. The DVF Made for Glass collection will be shown today with the brand’s resort 2015 collection. In addition to its runway debut, the range will go on sale on the Net-A-Porter e-commerce site on June 23.
The new styles have come a long way from the original Glass which were designed to be unisex. For prescription styles, the shape has been given a feminine update with the choice of colors like translucent light pink (pictured below) and glossy black. If sunglasses are more your style, we can expect an aviator style and another option featuring mirrored lenses or a subtle gradient.
Whether or not the redesign will appeal to the target market is yet to be determined, but we’re liking what we see thus far!
Photo: WWD
