Wearables To Get the Designer Touch

In an effort to make fitness gadgets more attractive to fashionistas, the devices will get a designer makeover.

Tory Burch for FitBit. Images provided.

Tory Burch for FitBit. Images provided.

Fitness gadgets may be all the rage, but that doesn’t mean the devices are pretty to look at. The biggest complaint amongst the fashion crowd has been that most are just plain ugly. Even the Jawbone Up’s thin black band, or the Nike FuelBand’s sleek design, just can’t seem to please fashionistas.

That’s why fashion designers and wearable tech makers are teaming up to create something beautiful. The Verge reports:

Intel shared the stage with Barneys New York, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and Opening Ceremony as they announced a collaboration between the fashion industry and the tech industry to make wearables more beautiful as they become more ubiquitous. That, Barneys New York COO Daniella Vitale says, is more opportunity than challenge. “One of the greatest opportunities for wearable technology as a concept to be successful is fairly simple,” she said. “Design a beautiful accessory that our customers would desire.”

Here in Boston, FitBit, which has multiple wearable fitness gadgets on the market, including the popular “Flex,” has shared office space for six employees on Newbury Street but is moving to the Innovation District very soon. Their reps tell us that the space will be large enough for 40 to 50 employees. While the company is based in California, FitBit’s CEO James Park studied at Harvard, and the new office will focus on mobile and website development. While that may not sound glamourous, their latest blog post sure does. The post, titled, “Fitness Meets Fashion” says:

We’re excited to announce that we’re partnering with Tory Burch to develop a collection of stylish accessories for the Fitbit Flex! This Spring, you’ll be able to purchase pendants, bracelets, and wristbands designed by Tory Burch that will hold the Fitbit Flex tracker, transforming your Flex into a super-chic accessory.

We’ve always said that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to fitness tech, and by fusing fashion with fitness we hope to give you yet another way to get active and stay in style at the same time.

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“The fusion of fashion into technology will be an important part of the widespread adoption of wearable technologies, like Fitbit products,” Park says. “From the beginning, our success has come not only from offering innovative technology, but from our attention to design, taking into consideration that one-size does not fit all – so partnering with Tory Burch makes perfect sense. We are thrilled to give our users another way to stay active and show off their style at the same time.”

The FitBit Flex. Photo by Scott M. Lacey

The FitBit Flex. Photo by Scott M. Lacey