As the most elite fashion houses showcase their new wares in New York, many critics were distracted Tuesday by the offerings of an upstart designer all the way in Cupertino: Apple.
Fashionistas across the country are scrutinizing the Apple Watch. Although the device Apple revealed was larger and squatter than many in the fashion world had hoped for, they see promise in the company s long-awaited wearable.
It is immaculate in terms of how function meets design, said Alexandra Shulman, editor of British Vogue, told Reuters. The issue is really about how much people want to wear something so clearly, essentially an amazing gadget.
Some of the industry s sharpest eyes were on hand for Tuesday s event at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino, having received invitations from Apple, Reuters reported. Singer turned fashion designer Gwen Stefani even turned out for the event, though she told Reuters was unable to get her hands on one of the coveted watches.
Cook was among the first to model the watch, donning the device on stage during the big reveal. Starting at $349, the watch comes in three collections: a standard model and designs for sport and high fashion. It also comes in two sizes, ostensibly for men and women, but some doubt the device will appear to the fairer sex.
It s not pretty, Roseanne Morrison, fashion director for The Doneger Group, told Reuters. It s very future techno as opposed to feminine sexy.
And Gadi Amit of San Francisco s NewDealDesign told Bloomberg Businessweek: I can pretty much say this is the day Apple lost its distinct edge in design. He called the watch s form plain vanilla.
The Apple Watch arrived fashionably late, following offerings from Samsung and others. Looks aside, the San Jose Mercury News s Troy Wolverton thinks Apple and other tech companies still have a long way to go to make the smartwatch a must-have device.
Apple s newly unveiled watch comes in three collections. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
