Apple iWatch Release to Be Fashion-Minded?
Smartwatches are already out and about in the marketplace, yet have failed so far to attract the kind of following manufacturers are hoping will help usher in a new age of wearable mobile technologies. Of course, all eyes are on Apple's upcoming smartwatch, the Apple Watch, and it looks like Apple wants to make sure it looks good in the limelight.
According to internal Apple hiring documents obtained by 9to5Mac, Apple is now looking for retail hires with "fashion or luxury background." Although it is unclear how these new fashionistas would be implemented, it looks like Apple is gearing up for its stores to be more fashion-friendly and fashion-forward once the Apple Watch releases in early 2015.
This isn't the first step that Apple has taken to courting the fashion industry. As mobile devices have taken the leap from "geek" to "chic," tech firms are scrambling to deliver products that provide a futuristic experience combined with the fashionality of today.
Over the past couple years, Apple has hired Patrick Pruniaux, former vice president of global sales and retail at Tag Heuer; former CEO of Yves Saint Laurent Paul Deneve as vice president of special projects; and ex-Burberry chief executive Angela Ahrendts.
Apple invited an "unprecedented" number of fashion bloggers and editors to the September launch event where the Apple Watch was introduced alongside its now-available cousins, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
"I assume it's because they are unveiling a wearable," said Lea Goldman, features and special projects director for Marie Claire magazine, in a Reuters report. "This suggests Apple is serious about tapping into the fashion world, which often sits on the sidelines."
The Apple Watch looks poised to herald a change in the smartwatch market. Although several newer models from manufacturers like Motorola are more fashionable than previous models, nothing in the pipeline comes close to the Apple Watch.
With two different sizes, a multitude of casings designed to match the wearer's lifestyle, and customizable bands that can go from morning workout to evening cocktail, the Apple Watch elicits an overwhelmingly positive response from consumers when it comes to design. Pair the Apple Watch with Apple's tightknit iOS ecosystem and Apple looks like it could leave swanky footprint on the wearables market when the Watch releases early next year.
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