Kering Eyewear and Google partner on AI-powered smart glasses
Kering Eyewear and Google announced on Tuesday a new partnership to develop AI-powered smart glasses using Android XR.
The collaboration will combine Kering's high-end eyewear expertise with Google's technological innovations within extended reality.
Kering Eyewear currently develops and distributes eyewear for a portfolio of 14 brands, including fashion houses such as Gucci, Cartier, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, and Balenciaga, among others, as well as sport and lifestyle brands like Puma. The company also owns and operates its proprietary brands Lindberg, Maui Jim, and Zeal Optics.
'We are honored to share the values of innovation and forward thinking with Google, and we are proud to partner with them to explore new horizons for the future development of our company,' said Roberto Vedovotto, founder, president, and CEO of Kering Eyewear.
'Together, we are shaping a product that people will want to wear: a pair of masterfully designed, high-quality, stylish glasses that unlock the potential of artificial intelligence, while redefining the way of interacting with both the real and virtual worlds.'
The smart eyewear is set to deliver intuitive, personalized AI-driven functions, all while elevating beauty, style, and wearability. At the centre of the experience, users will be able to engage with their environment in new and meaningful ways.
'We've always believed in blending cutting-edge technology with great user experiences' added Shahram Izadi, GM and VP of XR at Google.
'Integrating our immersive XR platform with Kering Eyewear's glasses will give consumers the fashion and function to get the most out of Android XR.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fashion Network
18 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Gucci owner Kering in talks to sell stake in $1 billion Fifth Avenue property, sources say
Kering, controlled by family of CEO Francois-Henri Pinault, bought 715-717 Fifth Avenue in January 2024 for $963 million to secure a top retail location in one of the world's most popular shopping streets. The property stretches over 115,000 square feet across several stores. Kering's net debt soared to 10.5 billion euros ($12 billion) by the end of 2024, from close to zero three years earlier, following a shopping spree that saw roughly 4 billion euros spent on top properties in New York, Milan and Paris. Deputy CEO Jean-Marc Duplaix said earlier this year that Kering expects to raise 2 billion euros or more over the next two years through real estate transactions. Under a deal struck in January, Paris-based Ardian took a 60% stake in a joint venture with Kering containing three prestigious Paris properties, raising 837 million euros for the luxury group, which retained a 40% stake. The New York property discussions are also about the sale of a stake, said the sources, declining to comment on the value of the possible transaction or size of the stake under discussion. "We continue to work not to resell these assets, but to sell part of them and have a co-shareholder," Duplaix told shareholders in April. He added that the properties in Milan's Via Montenapoleone and on the Fifth Avenue were among the buildings under discussion, as well as real estate in Tokyo. Duplaix said that maintaining a presence in the main shopping streets was essential for Kering's brands, which also include Balenciaga and Saint Laurent. According to Cushman & Wakefield, Via Montenapoleone in Milan was the world's most expensive street for rents in 2024, followed by the upper-end of New York's Fifth Avenue.
Fashion Network
a day ago
- Fashion Network
Bottega Veneta celebrates 50 years of its woven leather signature with a poetic campaign
Italian luxury brand Bottega Veneta is marking the 50th anniversary of intrecciato (meaning 'woven' in Italian), the leather technique that has become its signature. To celebrate five decades of artisanal excellence, the Italian label, part of the Kering luxury group, has launched a striking new campaign titled 'Craft is Our Language.' The visuals feature a series of moving hands—intertwined and interlaced like leather strips—alongside notable personalities. The story of intrecciato dates back to the 1970s when Renzo Zengiaro, the craftsman behind Bottega Veneta, introduced the weaving technique. He co-founded the house in Vicenza in 1966 with Michele Taddei. Their technique and design quickly became a reference in luxury leather goods. At the time, leather in the Veneto region—better known for ready-to-wear—was especially thin, suitable for weaving and commonly used in gloves and shoes. Zengiaro's idea was to use wider leather strips to create bags using his very own developed method. However, success came slowly. Years later, Zengiaro recalled that buyers in Paris rejected his woven leather bags, claiming they looked too much like summer straw bags. The brand halted production, kept only a few samples, and offered them to the Japanese and American markets. Customers in those regions quickly drove up demand, laying the foundation for what ultimately became Bottega Veneta's hallmark. Since then, intrecciato has been reinterpreted in numerous ways by the brand's various creative directors—across apparel, materials, and even oversized weaves. The technique has been used to craft highly coveted accessories, often widely copied. It quickly became a staple in all product categories, from jewelry and furniture to ready-to-wear. Yet the brand's new campaign barely shows its bags or products. Instead, it highlights creativity, craftsmanship, and human connection. This focus explains the use of hands—literally forming a language—as illustrated in a well-known book by Italian designer Bruno Munari. Bottega Veneta honors him through this project. The anniversary campaign 'views intrecciato not just as a technique, but as a metaphor. The interwoven leather strips, which over time became the house's hallmark, represent the bond that links individuals. It symbolizes sharing, transmission, and the collective spirit that drives Bottega Veneta's philosophy,' the house explained in a statement. Shot by photographer Jack Davison and choreographed by Lenio Kaklea, 'Craft is Our Language' is built around a series of portraits paired with images of hands. The selected figures come from the worlds of art, film, fashion, literature, music, and sport. The lineup starts with actress Lauren Hutton, who carried a Bottega Veneta woven clutch in Paul Schrader's 1980 film American Gigolo and walked the runway in 2016 for the brand's 50th anniversary wearing a modernized version of the same piece. Others featured in the campaign include designer Edward Buchanan—who served as Bottega Veneta's first ready-to-wear creative director from 1995 to 2000—Italian filmmaker Dario Argento, actress Julianne Moore, poet and sculptor Barbara Chase-Riboud, singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry, and novelist Zadie Smith.
Fashion Network
a day ago
- Fashion Network
Gucci owner Kering in talks to sell stake in $1 billion Fifth Avenue property, sources say
Gucci owner Kering is in exclusive talks with buyout group Ardian about the sale of a stake in a prestigious Fifth Avenue building it bought just over a year ago, two people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The negotiations are part of the French luxury group's broad strategy to cut costs and sell stakes in prime real estate to help lower its heavy debt as the industry struggles with sagging consumer demand. Kering and Ardian declined to comment. Kering, controlled by family of CEO Francois-Henri Pinault, bought 715-717 Fifth Avenue in January 2024 for $963 million to secure a top retail location in one of the world's most popular shopping streets. The property stretches over 115,000 square feet across several stores. Kering's net debt soared to 10.5 billion euros ($12 billion) by the end of 2024, from close to zero three years earlier, following a shopping spree that saw roughly 4 billion euros spent on top properties in New York, Milan and Paris. Deputy CEO Jean-Marc Duplaix said earlier this year that Kering expects to raise 2 billion euros or more over the next two years through real estate transactions. Under a deal struck in January, Paris-based Ardian took a 60% stake in a joint venture with Kering containing three prestigious Paris properties, raising 837 million euros for the luxury group, which retained a 40% stake. The New York property discussions are also about the sale of a stake, said the sources, declining to comment on the value of the possible transaction or size of the stake under discussion. "We continue to work not to resell these assets, but to sell part of them and have a co-shareholder," Duplaix told shareholders in April. He added that the properties in Milan's Via Montenapoleone and on the Fifth Avenue were among the buildings under discussion, as well as real estate in Tokyo. Duplaix said that maintaining a presence in the main shopping streets was essential for Kering's brands, which also include Balenciaga and Saint Laurent. According to Cushman & Wakefield, Via Montenapoleone in Milan was the world's most expensive street for rents in 2024, followed by the upper-end of New York's Fifth Avenue.
