Can supermodels make Google glasses cool?
The tech giant teams up with revered designer Diane von Furstenberg to try and take the geek out of geek-chic
Can Google conquer the runway? The California search giant isn't exactly synonymous with the glitz and glamour of New York Fashion Week, so onlookers were understandably surprised when Google's computerized glasses found their way onto the faces of models during Diane von Furstenberg's show over the weekend. The wearable computers, which run on Android and use a built-in camera to record what the wearer sees, were used to create a documentary called DVF Through Glass, which will be released on the fashion house's Google+ page Thursday. Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who walked arm-in-arm with von Furstenberg after the show, said, "Beauty, style, and comfort are as important to [Project Glass] as the latest technology." Can supermodels help Google take the geek out of geek-chic, or will it take a lot more to make the headsets actually look cool?
Give Google credit for trying: "High fashion it's not," says Evan Clark and Alexandra Steigrad at Women's Wear Daily, but you have to hand it to the company for at least trying to "reach beyond its core." Plus, Google and DVF might not be such strange bedfellows at all— "both are known for their willingness to experiment," for starters. In a lot of ways, combining fashion with tech wizardry is a "natural fit."
"Google's Sergey Brin stars as DVF shows 'Glass'"
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And this buzz could help: If Project Glass is going to be a hit, "it has to be something people will want to wear," says Meghan Kelly at VentureBeat. DVF is an icon "whose name will always be synonymous with effortlessness," and Google's strategic push is just part of its plan to "prove that the eye-wear is, well, wearable." As long as the geeky glasses don't become "the new black, I think we're all good."
"Google's Project Glass makes its way to New York Fashion Week"
Nope. Still not cool: "Google glasses look dumb enough" already, says Jamie Condliffe at Gizmodo. And guess what? They look dorky even when supermodels sport them. While the collaborative project to give outsiders an inside look of the fashion world is admirable enough, the main point of contention remains the same: "If a supermodel can't make Project Glass look good, who the hell can?"
"Google's Project Glass hits the catwalk"
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