Google taps former fashion executive to head Glass team
Apple isn't the only company hiring from the fashion industry in anticipation of the growth of wearable electronics, as Google has hired a former executive from Calvin Klein, Coach and Gap to head up its head-mounted Glass project.
Google's new Glass head Ivy Ross.
Ivy Ross introduced herself as the new head of Google Glass on the product's official Google+ account on Thursday, revealing that she will officially take over the position next Monday, May 19. Ross's wide-spanning career includes positions at Swatch, Bausch & Lomb, and Mattel, while her most recent stint was as marketing director at Art.com.
"With your help," Ross wrote, "I look forward to answering the seemingly simple, but truly audacious questions Glass poses: Can technology be something that frees us up and keeps us in the moment, rather than taking us out of it? Can it help us look up and out at the world around us, and the people who share it with us?"
Ross's background in the fashion industry is significant, as Google Glass faces significant hurdles in public adoption, with concerns not only about privacy and the ability to covertly record video and take pictures, but also looking "geeky" while wearing a head-mounted display.
Apple also seems to have fashion concerns in mind for its own secretive future products, chief among them expected to be a so-called "iWatch" the company is rumored to be working on. Ahead of an anticipated unveiling later this year, Apple has hired a veritable "dream team" of experts from the fashion industry, as well as health and fitness fields.
In one of hits highest profile hires, Apple tapped the former CEO of Burberry, Angela Ahrends, to take over its retail operations. Ahrendts started at Apple late last month.
As for Glass, Google announced earlier this year that it had partnered with Luxottica, which is the maker of premium, luxury and sports eyewear, to build more attractive versions of Glass in the future. The company is responsible for eyewear for popular brands such as Ray-Ban, Oakley, Armani, Brooks Brothers, Burberry, Coach, Polo Ralph Lauren, Prada, Tory Burch, and Versace.
Google's new Glass head Ivy Ross.
Ivy Ross introduced herself as the new head of Google Glass on the product's official Google+ account on Thursday, revealing that she will officially take over the position next Monday, May 19. Ross's wide-spanning career includes positions at Swatch, Bausch & Lomb, and Mattel, while her most recent stint was as marketing director at Art.com.
"With your help," Ross wrote, "I look forward to answering the seemingly simple, but truly audacious questions Glass poses: Can technology be something that frees us up and keeps us in the moment, rather than taking us out of it? Can it help us look up and out at the world around us, and the people who share it with us?"
Ross's background in the fashion industry is significant, as Google Glass faces significant hurdles in public adoption, with concerns not only about privacy and the ability to covertly record video and take pictures, but also looking "geeky" while wearing a head-mounted display.
Apple also seems to have fashion concerns in mind for its own secretive future products, chief among them expected to be a so-called "iWatch" the company is rumored to be working on. Ahead of an anticipated unveiling later this year, Apple has hired a veritable "dream team" of experts from the fashion industry, as well as health and fitness fields.
In one of hits highest profile hires, Apple tapped the former CEO of Burberry, Angela Ahrends, to take over its retail operations. Ahrendts started at Apple late last month.
As for Glass, Google announced earlier this year that it had partnered with Luxottica, which is the maker of premium, luxury and sports eyewear, to build more attractive versions of Glass in the future. The company is responsible for eyewear for popular brands such as Ray-Ban, Oakley, Armani, Brooks Brothers, Burberry, Coach, Polo Ralph Lauren, Prada, Tory Burch, and Versace.
Comments
I also love how that girl looking on in the background is all like "boy, that makes him look even more like a dork than I thought was possible".
Google is at the intersection of liberal arts and technology. /s
I can imagine her first thought when seeing google glasses....
I also love how that girl looking on in the background is all like "boy, that makes him look even more like a dork than I thought was possible".
And the woman who is fitting him is saying, "Your assimilation into the Borg is complete."
I also love how that girl looking on in the background is all like "boy, that makes him look even more like a dork than I thought was possible".
this. Also lol @ the picture caption "Google's new Glass head".
Though a good move for Google - Glass has been in sore need of some fashion help. Reminds me of UI designed by software engineers instead of a real visual design/UX team.
Guys... this is a real life look at how girls will react to seeing you wear Google Glass.
They are hoping glancing up off into space uttering 'huh?' while you interact with people will become the new cool. They have their work cut out, that's for sure.
Guys... this is a real life look at how girls will react to seeing you wear Google Glass.
Don't worry. It is likely that many AI readers already get those reactions without Google Glass.
Copy. Cats.
When Apple has an actual wearable product to copy, and when Google's existing products start to closely resemble Apple's products, then you can accuse Google of being copy cats. Until then, Google is the company that actually has products (that are not selling) and an SDK for developers to make even more products (that will not sell either). Until that happens, then Android sycophants will have more ammo in claiming that Apple is copying Google by entering the wearables market that Google created in the first place.
Google and their partners learned their lesson from the flop of the first round of wearables. The Moto 360 and the LG G both look much better than the Samsung Galaxy Gear, and the Android Wear concept watches look better still. So they were already in the process of making wearables that are actually attractive enough for people to want to wear before now.
Of course, Apple is going to come along and make wearables whose hardware and software are much better and - just as important - actually have a practical use that people need or at least want, and Apple will sell them by the hundreds of millions at very high margins. When that happens Google and its partners will copy it to the extent that patent law will allow. Then you will be able to gripe.
GoogleInsider...
Head Glasshole
It won't help. Nothing will help. For people who already wear glasses Glass will have to be nearly invisible to other people to be acceptable. For the non-glasses wearing public, it will never be widely accepted. People who are wearing Glass look deranged.
It might be a generational thing.
While Bluetooth cellphone earpieces are now quite commonplace, they are still dorky. To me, they will never ever be cool.
There was a period of time after their debut that some people took to wearing them all the time on the street. Apparently it was a passing fad, since I don't see them often on people who are not having active telephone conversations.
In time, Google Glass may end up being mostly used in specific context-oriented (mostly work) settings, like airplane pilots in a cockpit, physicians in the operating room, on an inventory analyst in a warehouse.
When you wear a device like Google Glass or a Bluetooth earpiece, the implication is that the world around you may be less important than what that device is transmitting.