Week in Review | iWatch, Fit Solutions, Dover Street Market, Alibaba's Catch-22

LONDON, United Kingdom — Technology was on the boil this week on BoF, as our intrepid team explored the impact of 'Fashion 2.0' on the industry.

Lauren Sherman spoke to a range of experts to assess the potential impact of Apple's rumoured wearable device — the so-called 'iWatch' — on the market for luxury watches and timepieces. According to a prediction by Pascal Koenig of the Zurich-based Smartwatch Group, $2.5 billion worth of smartwatches will be sold this year. And, by 2020, 60 percent of all watches sold will be Internet-enabled. Based on this data, it might seem that incorporating new technology into traditional timepieces is inevitable, yet some BoF readers disagreed. I particularly enjoyed this comment from Constantin Stikas in Greece: "I think that Apple's iWatch will rattle mechanical watches the same as Bic has rattled Montblanc or Montegrappa pens, Zara rattled Yves-Saint Laurent or Coca-Cola rattled Krug's Champagne."

We also examined some of the emerging technologies aiming to address the fit problem in fashion e-commerce, where a return rate of between 20 and 40 percent continues to plague profits. But is a technical solution the most effective approach? There was a healthy amount of scepticism from the experts we consulted, as well as a healthy debate in the comments section under the article.

Have a great weekend and enjoy our top stories from the week:

Will Apple's 'iWatch' Rattle Luxury Watchmakers?
Apple's much-anticipated wearable device, which will reportedly debut this fall, may not pose a direct threat to luxury watchmakers. But it does signal opportunity.

Can Technology Solve the Fit Problem in Fashion E-Commerce?
According to studies, between twenty to forty percent of all clothing purchased online is returned, often due to issues with fit, costing fashion e-tailers millions. A host of tech start-ups are aiming to solve the problem. But is a technical solution the most effective approach?

BoF Exclusive | Dover Street Market to Dip Toes in Social Media, Open New Chapter
BoF can reveal that Dover Street Market is set to launch an account on Instagram, charting a different course to parent company Comme des Garçons and kicking-off a tenth anniversary celebration that will see the store transformed from top to bottom.

Op-Ed | Alibaba's Catch-22
Stuck in a 'catch-22' in its relationship with luxury brands, Chinese e-commerce juggernaut Alibaba should take a page from Google, maximising revenue in the short term, while buying critical time to build enduring relationships with Western brands, argue Brian Buchwald and Joshua Neckes.

When A Fashion Shoot Goes Too Far
Last week, the shocking photo shoot by Indian photographer Raj Shetye trivialising and glamourising a fatal rape that happened in New Delhi in 2012 is reflective of a broader lack of moral compass within the global fashion industry.

Op-Ed | Sex, Power and Suiting
In menswear, sex and power have been converging, evidenced by the mainstream adoption of the kind of slim suiting pioneered by Hedi Slimane and Thom Browne, says Cameron Wolf.

And don't forget to check out BoF Weekly, a week in review published with Flipboard and updated every Saturday.