Who isn’t dying for a Google Glass already, am I right? It’s so techy and chic and—okay who am I kidding—it looks like something out of one of my boyfriend’s Sci-Fi movies. A large, gaudy piece of metal that awkwardly sits on your face making the wearer look less “trendsetter” and more “beam-me-up-Scotty.” But that might be about to change. Yesterday Google announced they’ll be collaborating with major luxury eyewear label Luxottica to give us the option of a stylish Glass. With an umbrella that incorporates brands like Ray-Ban, Oakley, Persol, Oliver Peoples and Vogue-Eyewear, this partnership could be a major game changer.
Despite people being somewhat hesitant about snatching up a Glass (because not everyone wants to look like a walking cyberman), pulling styles from favorites like Oliver Peoples and Ray-Ban might sway consumers to pick up the new gadget when it becomes available. Luxottica will not only manufacture a wearable new Glass, but also lead in distribution, which could come as a great advantage considering they are one of, if not the biggest, player in the eyewear market. “Luxottica understands how to build, distribute and sell great products that their clients and consumers love – something we care deeply about at Glass, too,” Google shared yesterday. “Luxottica’s retail and wholesale distribution channels will serve us well when we make Glass available to more people down the road.”
While this might do a lot to make Glass more palpable, it will undoubtedly allow wearable tech to advance, and take away from the stigma of “geeky technology.” “We live in a world where technological innovation has dramatically changed the way in which we communicate and interact in everything that we do. More importantly, we have come to a point where we now have both a technology push and a consumer pull for wearable technology products and applications,” Luxottica said in a press release yesterday. “We believe it is high time to combine the unique expertise, deep knowledge and quality of our Group with the cutting edge technology expertise of Google and give birth to a new generation of revolutionary devices.”
We won’t be seeing any of these styles soon, but by the time we do, chances are good that we’ll actually want to grab one. Or two. But we can’t be the only ones—would the option of a stylish Google Glass entice you to pick one up when they become available?
