Google takes Glass to next level with fashion partnership, teams up with Oakley/Ray-Ban parent company Luxottica
Google has just announced that it has signed a deal with with Ray-Ban and Oakley parent company Luxottica to work together on creating a series of frames compatible with Google Glass. Google also notes that the retail channels of Luxottica will make distributing Glass to the mainstream public even easier.
Unfortunately, details about availability and specific designs remain sparse, as Google notes several times that this announcement is simply to inform customers that the two companies are working together, not that they have any product to release. At first, Google says it plans to work with Ray-Ban and Oakley, but will eventually expand into Luxottica’s other brands, which include Vogue-Eyewear, Persol, Oliver Peoples, Alain Mikli, and Arnette. The first designs are expected to feature “avant-garde design,” which implies something more stylish than the bland offerings Google has now.
Google hopes that this partnership will make Glass more appealing to the general public, as people associate the Ray-Ban and Oakley names with style and high-end eyewear. The deal will also offer even more customization options. “Between frames, shades, and colors, there are over 40 different ways for Explorers to make Glass their own today,” Google said, “but that’s not enough.
Earlier this year, Google announced its own in-house designed frames, dubbed the Titanium Collection. Wetley also announced its own prescription frames, and was first to the market. You can read a FAQ about the partnership from Google below:
