google glass vogue Continuing Google’s interesting take on marketing Glass, the company’s forthcoming wearable computer, a photo shoot appearing in Vogue’s September 2013 issue shows the unit as part of a retro-futuristic landscape. Fashion Director Tonne Goodman and photographer Steven Klein got together to shoot models Raquel Zimmermann, Toni Garrn, and Niklas Garrn in Lubbock, Texas. Seven of the photos are available on Vogue’s website and you can find the full shoot in the September 2013 issue of Vogue. Google is taking a very interesting approach to marketing Glass. Rather than focusing on it as solely a tech product, they’re looking at it from a design and lifestyle perspective. They’ve latched onto the fashion world as a way to show Google Glass as a stylish and useful addition rather than a geeky gadget. Being vogue will make or break the success of Google Glass. While I personally think Google Glass is good looking and would happily wear one around, I’ve heard at least a few people say it looks geeky and or stupid. Overcoming that attitude will be a challenge if Google wants wearable computing to become mainstream. Their unique fashion-based approach could be key.

white
Photo credit – Mashable

Before Vogue, Google Glass was featured as part of New York Fashion Week at the DvF Spring 2013 collection showing in September 2012. At the showing, 7 models strutted their stuff, equipped with Google Glass. If you’re the visual type, we compiled a huge gallery of 100 Google Glass photos here. Would you wear glass?

See All Google Glass News

Newsletter graphic

This article may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product we may receive a small commission which helps support the publication. More information.


Ben Lang
Ben is the world's most senior professional analyst solely dedicated to the XR industry, having founded Road to VR in 2011—a year before the Oculus Kickstarter sparked a resurgence that led to the modern XR landscape. He has authored more than 3,000 articles chronicling the evolution of the XR industry over more than a decade. With that unique perspective, Ben has been consistently recognized as one of the most influential voices in XR, giving keynotes and joining panel and podcast discussions at key industry events. He is a self-described "journalist and analyst, not evangelist."
  • eyeandeye

    Until I try one out and see its capabilities I have no idea. I foresee one problem: I wear sunglasses almost all the time outside here in Texas.

  • Mageoftheyear

    Didn’t think I could be less interested in Glass.
    Well done Vogue.

    • Ben Lang

      Lol why aren’t you interested in Glass?

      • Mageoftheyear

        It’s not that I don’t see value in the application – quite the opposite, I see it as an incredible opportunity to dismantle social barriers to interaction such as written languages.
        If I’m in a foreign country and pop on my Glasses and suddenly I have real-time translation overlaid on the menu I’m about to order from… that would be great!

        But as crim3 posted in the Meta 01 piece, my concern is more focused on the capability of the AI behind the device than it’s tech specs. What we’re asking a machine to do is to interpret human *behaviour* not just language, and that is an incredible demand to make upon a machine.

        Also consider this. No mainstream games have attempted to use emotive or language input for UI purposes that effect gameplay. I think the fact that it seems like a daunting challenge even in an environment where your actions do not carry permanency highlights how important it is to get that interpretation down to a science IRL where your actions made according to the data you receive definitely do carry permanency.

        It is only mho that this science will hit it’s stride once it sees adoption in the gaming market, out of a need for dynamically created interaction/content based on user input – and I think that means VR as a medium needs to mature first for that desire to be sparked in the minds of gamers.

        There are lots of “ifs” and “whens” in the above, and I don’t doubt that these problems will be solved over time, but I doubt I’ll be adding to the feedback of early adopters, because I perceive the experience will introduce more interference than clarity.
        “Talent knows when to stop,” and I don’t think AI is there yet.

        And VOGUE!? Come on Google, is your market really the yuppie? It does have real potential for the traveller, the social entrepreneur and many other users, but marketing it as a fashion accessory advertises it as a gimmick. That is not good long term marketing.

        • Ben Lang

          Good points, though it sounds like you’re addressing AR more generally than Glass itself, which is more a wearable computing device than an AR device.

          Google knows that people will reject wearable computing if they think it looks nerdy. For a long time, glasses were considered nerdy and people wouldn’t wear them until it was absolutely necessary. But then the fashion world got hold of them and convinced people that glasses are a fashion accessory — now people are paying hundreds for non-prescription glasses.

          I think Google is making a smart approach to getting wearable computing into the mainstream.

          • Mageoftheyear

            Hmm, I hadn’t considered that it would be geared towards simplicity simply for the sake of avoiding the label of “nerdy.”
            Perhaps I’m overestimating Google’s technical ambition in their first iteration.
            So in a sense this would be the reverse of your comparison; buying a pair of non-prescription glasses first and then the real deal later.

            People are weird.