The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
The health tech company — best known for its smart ring that tracks everything from general fitness to sleep patterns — has tapped Kering-owned Gucci for its first luxury fashion partnership.
It’s the latest effort from the wearable tech company to make its product resonate with fashion-conscious consumers, broadening its appeal. Back in 2020, Oura debuted a limited edition yellow gold band, which sold for $399. Currently, the market for smart accessories is dominated by Apple, which has also leveraged the power of luxury labels to help boost its cool factor (the tech giant has a long-term collaboration with Hermès on a special co-branded edition of the Apple watch).
Retailing for $950, the Oura x Gucci ring is embossed with the Italian house’s signature interlocking G logo in 18K gold and tracks the wearer’s heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature and sleep. It’s available to purchase on Gucci’s website and in some brick-and-mortar Gucci stores.
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The Quest to Make Wearable Tech Fashionable
With the launch of a yellow-gold band, Silicon Valley-favourite Oura wants its smart ring to be as stylish as it is functional. Lauren Sherman gives it a test drive.
Zero10 offers digital solutions through AR mirrors, leveraged in-store and in window displays, to brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Coach. Co-founder and CEO George Yashin discusses the latest advancements in AR and how fashion companies can leverage the technology to boost consumer experiences via retail touchpoints and brand experiences.
Four years ago, when the Trump administration threatened to ban TikTok in the US, its Chinese parent company ByteDance Ltd. worked out a preliminary deal to sell the short video app’s business. Not this time.
Brands are using them for design tasks, in their marketing, on their e-commerce sites and in augmented-reality experiences such as virtual try-on, with more applications still emerging.
Brands including LVMH’s Fred, TAG Heuer and Prada, whose lab-grown diamond supplier Snow speaks for the first time, have all unveiled products with man-made stones as they look to technology for new creative possibilities.