By Alev Aktar, Entrepreneur
If wearable tech is to live up to its potential, it needs to start looking better. That’s why a growing number of savvy tech companies are collaborating with forward-looking fashion houses, and startups are focusing on design first.
Rebecca Minkoff’s bracelet for Case-Mate connects to a USB cable to sync and charge mobile devices. (Entrepreneur)
“Wearables are arguably the most personal technology we’ve seen,” says Ayse Ildeniz, vice president and general manager of Intel’s New Devices Group, which partnered with hip retailer Opening Ceremony on smart bracelets, and with accessories giant Fossil for an upcoming project. “As such, we believe the fashion and design industry should be in the driver’s seat.”
“Silicon Valley has this misconception that if the technical feature is well-built enough, consumers will lap it up, no matter what it looks like. This is not the case,” adds Kate Unsworth, founder and CEO of Kovert Designs, a London-based startup that’s launching sleek, smart jewelry in time for the holidays. “Ever seen a smartwatch on the Champs-Élysées?”
Unsworth is alluding to the aesthetic shortcomings of early wearable gadgets: Bulky, squared off, masculine and plastic-y, they were not likely to find valuable wrist real estate (or face real estate, in the case of Google Glass) among image-conscious consumers.
Indeed, when it comes to techcessories, beauty is as important as brains. “We did some studies on wearables, and 51 percent of consumers who are interested in buying a smartwatch said they won’t even consider it unless it fits in with their personal style,” notes Ben Arnold, executive director and industry analyst for consumer technology at The NPD Group. The market research firm reports that sales of fitness trackers and smartwatches hit $570 million in the year to August and projects the market to more than double next year, due in part to the entry of Apple Watch.
To glamorize geek wear, designers are using upscale materials and refining the size, shape and feel of their gadgets. Take Opening Ceremony and Intel’s MICA (My Intelligent Communication Accessory), an elegant bracelet that displays communications and alerts on its 1.6-inch curved sapphire-glass touchscreen. Opening Ceremony founders Carol Lim and Humberto Leon (also creative directors at French luxury house Kenzo) unveiled two versions of the bangle adorned with semiprecious gems and water snakeskin at their September fashion presentation (which took the form of a one-act play). MICA will reportedly be priced at less than $1,000 for its holiday launch at Opening Ceremony stores and Barneys New York.
In another collaboration, downtown designer Rebecca Minkoff teamed with Case-Mate to create smart jewelry, charging units and phone cases, available this holiday season at Nordstrom and through her own website and stores. Her $120 gold chain-link bracelet with pyramid studs alerts wearers to calls and texts and would be at home in the pages of Vogue.
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