Another designer is throwing their hat into the ring of wearable technology. So far we have seen Diane Von Furstenberg Google Glass, Tory Burch Fitbits, and Ralph Lauren Polo Tech shirts, now Rebecca Minkoff is launching two wearable bracelets. The bracelets will debut at the designer’s New York Fashion Week show on September 5th. Following the trend established by other fashion designers, the technology is being designed by an outside company, in this case Case-Mate. Specifically designed not to look tech-y, the bracelets give up functionality for the sake of design.
Skipping utilizing a display or making use of health sensors, the $60 bracelet unfolds into a Lightning plug phone charger. While the battery capacity of the bracelet is still unknown, similar devices claim to recharge your device to 60%. The second bracelet from Rebecca Minkoff will retail for $120. It alerts the wearer to incoming phone calls and text messages. Both are expected to be available in multiple finishes / colors and to go on sale at Rebecca Minkoff stores and Nordstrom in the next month. It will be interesting to see if devices that look like jewelry but provide limited functionality find a customer base. We should note, this is not Rebecca Minkoff’s first foray into technology. The designer is currently letting her Instagram followers pick her NYFW looks and last year she released content through Snapchat.
