Gucci may be best known for its designer bags and apparel, but it looks like the brand is about to dip its toes into tech, and it’s not your typical collaboration. Through its parent company Kering, the fashion label is now working with Google on a new pair of AI-powered smart glasses, marking an unusual crossover between luxury fashion and Silicon Valley.
According to Reuters, Gucci’s parent company Kering is targeting a launch for the wearable as early as 2027. Needless to say, this move would put Kering in direct competition with EssilorLuxottica, which has already teamed up with Meta to produce its Ray-Ban smart glasses.
Luca de Meo, CEO of Kering, said the move is part of the company’s strategy to scale up its eyewear and jewellery divisions, which currently account for only a small portion of the group’s overall revenue. He further notes that this decision may help shield the luxury company from “shift in fashion tastes that has hit star brand Gucci”.
In addition to this, De Meo also said he is aiming to more than double Kering’s operating profit margin to keep pace with other major luxury players. He also notes that he plans to revamp Gucci following years of flagging sales.
De Meo did not provide further details on how he plans to revamp the luxury brand. Instead, he told Reuters that it “needed to return to its most recognisable classics”.
At the time of writing, there are no details on what the glasses will look like. Reuters reached out to Google for comment, but the company declined to respond. It’s also worth mentioning that Google is currently working with eyewear brands, including Samsung, Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, as part of its broader push into fashion-focused smart eyewear under the Android XR ecosystem.
(Source: Reuters)
