Is The Apple Watch A Fashionista In Disguise?
Yesterday I attended a few shows at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week. There were lots of paparazzi at Lincoln Center’s outdoor plaza trying to get photos of any fashionistas that would walk by. Many models were coming out of the main pavilion and posing on the plaza getting more publicity for the brand they wear. Every year Fashion Week sets up in all the major cities from Los Angeles to New York. Each day designers, press and celebrities ooh and aah at the latest and greatest fashions of which most are unreachable for the mainstream buyer and some never reach the market. Some designs are purely fantasy, like a concept car at the Geneva Auto Show.
When it comes to Apple tech we only get it once every 18 months to two years. When it arrives there is so much hype and anticipation. Whatever Apple introduces the majority wants immediately. There are already people lined up at the Apple flagship on Fifth Avenue and 58th Street in New York City. Today, along with the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple launched the Apple Watch. Not only is it a marvelous piece of innovative technology that took years to design and build, but it’s fashionable or at least it wants to be.
The Apple Watch danced and strutted down the runway. It showed off its accouterments to the crowd. The Apple watch is available in different materials: gold, steel or aluminum and it comes in different colors. The watch bands also have a myriad of designs allowing for customization for personal taste. Unlike standard wristwatches it connects to the iPhone and has many functions and faces that can all be quickly changed into without a dressing room. What will the clothing designers think about all this? Will they embrace a new type of “tech luxury.” Next time you see someone in a designer dress or suit take a look at their wrist. Is it Apple Watch? Chances are if it is an Apple Watch they will show you and at that moment it will be evident that Apple has created a new category to be leaders, “fashionista tech.” It can reach the mainstream and be worn more than once to an event. Apple Watch you have arrived. As the designers from Fashion Week wait to see how many orders they receive, Apple has already threaded the needle and created demand. Only time will tell.
