Apple’s upcoming wearable will appear on the cover of Vogue China’s November issue according to Business of Fashion. Several styles of the device will be worn by supermodel Liu Wen. This comes just a few weeks after Apple’s one-day-only special showing of the Apple Watch during Paris Fashion Week, proving that the company is taking a much more direct approach to the fashion world.
Vogue China EiC Angelica Cheung reportedly met with Tim Cook and Jony Ive prior to the official reveal of the watch to learn about the process behind its design. When asked about why Vogue China was chosen as the first magazine to feature the device, she responded in part by stating:
Chinese people are actually very digitally minded and we embrace new technology and digital products more easily than perhaps people elsewhere … We are an ancient country but at the same time a very young country when it comes to fashion and new products. We love to embrace everything that is new, modern and positive.
Liu Wen previous posted on Instagram that she had seen the Apple Watch already and that she would be revealing more “soon.”
The iPhone 6 was recently approved for sale in China after suffering regulatory setbacks. Hopefully such delays won’t push back the Chinese launch of the Apple Watch in early 2015.
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這確實是真棒！
I question the wisdom of Apple’s choice to market the Apple Watch so hard as a fashion item. For one thing I think they’re targeting the wrong audience. The fashion crowd is already deeply entrenched in luxury watch brands like Rolex, Cartier, Breitling, Chanel et cetera. Secondly the Apple Watch may be very smart in a functional way, but it’s not exactly sleek and stylish compared to traditional luxury watches. In fact its colorful bubbly toy-like appearance will stick out like a sore thumb in combination with an Armani suit or a Chanel evening dress, making it a hard sell to the fashion crowd. And last but not least it’s a very short sighted strategy for a device like the Apple Watch. The only sure thing in fashion is this: What was chick and cool last year, is SO out this year. Lastly the fashion strategy will play right into the hands of the Apple critics who maintain that Apple products are mere fashion baubles – style over substance. Apple will face a hard time countering this critique while at the same time introducing the Apple Watch as a fashion accessory.
The leadership at Apple isn’t stupid. This product is never going to take off if it’s marketed as some tech geek toy. Apple isn’t playing in the same space as Galaxy Gear. I trust that Angela Ahrendts, Paul Deneve and all the other fashion hires (including some from luxury watch brands) know what they’re doing.
As far as we know, Apple’s fashion hires could not have much influence in the design of the product. Even if they are very talented experts and know how to market fashion, if design is not appropriate they can’t make miracles.
“This product is never going to take off if it’s marketed as some tech geek toy.”
Only problem is … it IS a tech geek toy. Much more so than a fashion item for the Gucci crowd.
Not only that, as jewelry its clunky and uninspiring. i honestly can’t imagine this thing selling in large numbers. Wearing what is basically a clunky littleI screen on your wrist screams dork.
All Apple had to do was release a nice piece of tech jewelry but delivered a little iPhone (that can’t make calls) on a strap.
Yeah? you need to look at this page again:
http://9to5mac.com/2014/10/02/apple-watch-luxury-customization-concept/yvan-arpa-pine-apple-gold-diamonds-apple-watch-4/
“Wearing what is basically a clunky littleI screen on your wrist screams dork.”
Exactly! And yes, Apple is trying its best to pre emptily counter that notion by marketing it as something fashionable and chique. But I think Apple will come to realize that this is simply not the nature of the beast.
I actually think that Apple is ahead of the game, or at least trying to get there. All of the smart watch manufactures are marketing their products to the geek crowd. About 50% of the Android users I know are aware of the Samsung watch. None of them have any plans on purchasing. The other half I know have no clue! They don’t watch keynotes and might have a “clue” that Samsung dropped another product, but hey… Sammy does that all time so it’s lost. I work in graphic design and most of the Android customers don’t know how to send a picture via email from their phones unless they text it. Some can’t figure that out! So buying the Android watch? Right!
Apple on the other hand already knows that the Apple faithful will buy a watch… at least 30-40% of them. So, why spend all your marketing dollars on the people who are already going to buy it? Now go after a market that isn’t “as technologically inclined”. Make them aware. Have the magazines, publications, blogs and whatever else… tell their readers how cool it is.
To your point about “toy watch”… in the current advertisements they “only show the apps screen”… but clearly at the keynote they showed the various watch faces. Don’t you think that users of the watch will be able to determine what is showing on their watches? Of course they will be! Just remember… They called the first iPad a hug tampon. Look where it is today.
I don’t think I agree. The apple watch market is small. This device has many hurdles to cross to be successful relative to some of their other products.
I agree that Apple’s doing a much better job pushing their watch to the public, but just look at the magazine cover. Everything from the model to the dress and overall color choices looks great and high fashion. The apple watch on the other hand, looks sorely out of place. I’m just not getting it.
Apple will no doubt sell more than all the other smart watches, but I still have many doubts on how well the apple watch will received by the general public.
I actually agree with you on what Apple is TRYING to do by marketing the Apple Watch as a chic accessory for the fashion conscious. I just don’t think they will be very successful with that strategy. We’ll see in a couple years from now.
I question that being the cover of Vogue. It’s not that great looking.
You think people care about the look once they see celebrities wearing it? It’s all about the image and brand. Once, Liu Wen wears it off course paid to wear, bunch of Asian chicks will wear it.
I think Apple is spot on marketing Apple Watch as a fashion accessory that happens to function as a smart watch, and not the other way round. Look at the fashion heavy weights pulled in to push the product. This is only a start. I bet there will be another model coming soon to compliment this one.
Designers in fashion industry are dying to get into the tech fashion genre. Look at Tag Heuer doing a smart phone, Prada partnering with LG, etc. No one gets it right so far. And these players knew that they need to evolve over time to retain their market. Apple might change the industry totally, and/or create a blue ocean for themselves. Why else do you think they could attract a CEO to join them as SVP?
“I think Apple is spot on marketing Apple Watch as a fashion accessory that happens to function as a smart watch, and not the other way round.”
Yeah, only problem with that is that the fashion world is all about looks, while a smart watch like Apple Watch is all about features and functionality.
It’s actually the best idea ever to market this watch in the fashion world. It’s exactly the opposite of what other smart watch makers have done. And even though what’s in today is out tomorrow, that won’t affect the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch is a product that can evolve and change to make it in the fashion world, heck the iPhone is basically a fashion statement. Apple products change it’s design often enough to not look dated. I think it’ll be a thing of waiting for Apple to make more designs of the Watch. Maybe they’ll partner up with other designers and make special editions of it.
As far as “marketing as a fashion item” … it couldn’t hurt. It may or may not sell to high fashion types, but if it doesn’t, it won’t make any difference to sales. The idea that it might is kind of silly.
I think what you might mean to say by that statement, and something I would agree with, is that they are not pricing it correctly. They are finally succumbing to the criticism that people have made (in error) about their products all along. That they are overpriced for what you get.
All this with a grain of salt of course as we don’t actually know the prices yet. But it seems to me that the Watch is the one that people will want to buy, and the “sport” model is basically the “cheap” one. If the “cheap” one is $300-$400 as rumoured, then the actual Watch would likely be in the $500-$600 range (depending on model), and there is talk about the straps being extra.
To me this is insane if that’s the way they go. If yo compare prices of other steel watches and straps and extrapolate. It then becomes likely that the basic steel Watch, with the basic steel bracelet, (a very common and popular design for watches in general) will end up being something around $1000. That’s a very basic, minimal device to sell for that much.
I don’t care, (and no one should BTW) about all the rich idiots who are going to buy the gold ones or any of the “edition” watches. Those people are movie stars and Saudi a-holes and they can afford whatever nonsense they want. But for the average person to buy into this watch, they need to have the Watch (the steel ones), around $500 complete with strap or bracelet. The “sport” ones should really be in the $200-$300 range, also complete with strap.
Apple Is skating to where the puck will be.
When Apple introduc d the iPhone, smartphone were used only by geeks.
Apple’s goal wasn’t 1% of the smartphone market but 1% of all phones.
In the same way, 5-7 years from now a smartwatch will be a normal, useful and essential part of ordinary peoples lives.
If you told me 10 years ago that most people would ditch their tiny RAZRs for gaint smartphones, I’d want to know what you’re smoking. Don’t be so surprised if Rolex wearers switch to the Watch as their day-to-day watch and save the Rolex only for special occasions.
lol, swatch does it better
People still use lol?
Reblogged this on eesley's blog and commented:
Vogue embraces wearable fashion
“We love to embrace everything that is new, modern and positive.”
Might want to tell that to your government.
Reblogged this on my fav and commented:
I think Apple is spot on marketing Apple Watch as a fashion accessory that happens to function as a smart watch, and not the other way round. Look at the fashion heavy weights pulled in to push the product. This is only a start. I bet there will be another model coming soon to compliment this one.
Designers in fashion industry are dying to get into the tech fashion genre. Look at Tag Heuer doing a smart phone, Prada partnering with LG, etc. No one gets it right so far. And these players knew that they need to evolve over time to retain their market. Apple might change the industry totally, and/or create a blue ocean for themselves. Why else do you think they could attract a CEO to join them as SVP?
I’ve gotta say. This looks really good!