Saint Laurent and Google Team up to Create Interactive 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?