Saint Laurent and Google Team up to Create Interactive Backpack

by SHOWstudio on 17 September 2019

Saint Laurent and Jacquard by Google announce the Cit-e backpack.

Saint Laurent and Jacquard by Google announce the Cit-e backpack.

Luxury design house Saint Laurent and tech giant Google have teamed up to create a digitally-connected backpack. The bag features an interactive touch panel which connects to Google's Jacquard app (compatible on iOS and Android), allowing wearers to play music, drop location pins and take photos – all with a simple gesture. The bag, which retails for £685, aims to integrate digital activity with daily life. The Cit-e backpack is the second product from Google's Jacquard project, following the smart Levi's trucker jacket released in 2017.

In recent years, the concept of wearable technology has grown in popularity and several luxury fashion brands have invested in the trend. In 2014, retailer Opening Ceremony partnered with Intel’s New Devices Group to create gold-toned bracelets which display messages and alerts on a touchscreen. In the same year, Ralph Lauren released its Polo Tech bio-sensing shirt during the 2014 US Open. The compression top recorded the biometric data of the ballboys who wore them and sent it to an iPhone app via Bluetooth. Will Saint Laurent's tech foray prove successful?

Cit-e backpack, courtesy of Saint Laurent
Levi's smart trucker jacket, courtesy of Google
Opening Ceremony bracelet, courtesy of Intel

Explore

Fashion Film

Fashion Film: Plato's Atlantis

06 October 2009
The opening fashion film of Alexander McQueen's S/S 10 show, created by McQueen, Nick Knight and Ruth Hogben and starring Raquel Zimmermann.
Conversation

Conversation: Fashion and Technology

04 February 2014
Nick Knight and Nicola Formichetti discuss their innovative collaboration for the #DieselTribute campaign at Selfridges ‘Festival of Imagination’.
Back to top