Fashion Meets Tech On the Runway and In Your Jewelry Box
During the Fall of 2013, the September issue of Vogue featured models wearing Google Glass. Nina Garcia, the Creative Director of Marie Claire, vowed to wear them during New York Fashion Week. With such influential advertisements, it would appear Google had it in the bag. However, there was one problem. Google Glass was horrendously dull looking. Yes, the glasses have capabilities similar to the iPhone, but who wants to sport unfashionable eyewear? Google was able to find a way around this issue by selling Google Glass through a third party retailer. Partnering with designers such as Diane von Furstenberg, who featured Google Glass during her spring/summer 2013 runway show; and Luxottica, who produced Ray-Ban and Oakley designed frames, provided Google a presence in the industry and an image of being fashion forward.
Even with Google’s updated new frames, would it be enough to get people to try Google Glass? Would companies even attempt to create more wearable technology? Recently, a start-up company called Ringly launched its first product, a ring. Starting at $145, it may look like a simple piece of jewelry, but it is actually a Bluetooth LE-enabled ring that vibrates to let you know when you received a notification on your phone. To program the ring, you first download the Ringly app onto your phone. You can then set which notifications you would like to receive and even set the pattern at which the ring vibrates. One of the biggest things about this cute little piece of technology is that it also lets you know when you have left your phone behind.
You might ask, “Why not just check your phone?” The thing is, you can’t always check your phone. In some workspaces, phones are not always permitted and when going out to dinner with friends or a date, constantly checking your phone can be a huge turn-off. If losing your phone has become a bad habit, being able to receive a simple notification by wearing a tech-savvy ring would be absolutely perfect.
So are people ready for wearable technology? We say yes, if it’s fashion forward and serves a technological function.
