By Melanie Galindo
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You don’t normally associate Google, with its durable search engine and nerdy office complex in Silicon Valley, with sophisticated fashion magazine Vogue and its sleek New York newsroom.
But the two have recently joined forces in a 12-page futuristic fashion spread in Vogue’s infamous September issue featuring Google Glass Expedition.
Google Glass is a hands-free, head-mounted device that can be worn by users as wearable computing eyewear, according to Natalie Thompson of Google. The device looks like a pair of normal eyeglass, but “the lens of the glasses actually have an interactive, smartphone-like display with voice command support as well as Bluetooth and wireless connectivity,” she said.
Photo: “Forbidding Planet” : http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/the-final-frontier-google-glass-and-futuristic-fashion/#/magazine-gallery/the-final-frontier/3
With groundbreaking features literally changing how people see things, Google Glass is a hands-free device that allows users to live in the moment instead of juggling among their phone, tablet and computer. But as Google enters the market of wearable technology, the biggest challenge doesn’t around revolve engineering this futuristic product. Instead, the real challenge lies in the task of making their product stylish.
“While it is fascinating that this may mark the beginning of a technology that changes how we interact and process information, I couldn’t help but feel like character from a science fiction movie,” said Lisa Steppe, a business analyst at Apple, after demo-ing Glass.
With co-founder of Google, Sergey Brin, recently reporting the prototype design represents a near complete model; Google must erase any “dorky” connotations from their product’s name before its official release to the public. What better way to build a fashionable reputation than decorating the pages of Vogue?
Featured against a variety of retro-futuristic backdrops in a Vogue spread called “The Final Frontier,” Google Glass makes its high-end fashion editorial debut. Shot in Lubbock against a 110-ton steel house, the layout features chic, sleek model Raquel Zimmermann displaying the forward-looking accessory in a trendy and modern light. Aligning its product not only with the fashion world but also with one of fashion’s most sacred texts, Google hopes to replace its “sci-fi” standing with a more stylish reputation to generate consumer appeal.
Photo: “Slight Lines”: http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/the-final-frontier-google-glass-and-futuristic-fashion/#/magazine-gallery/the-final-frontier/1
“The Vogue September issue has become a cultural touchstone ahead of New York’s Fashion Week,” said Chris Dale, communications manager for the Glass team at Google. “Seeing Glass represented so beautifully in this issue is a thrill for the entire Glass team.”