Apple Watch to be highlight of Vogue China magazine spread

The Apple Watch spread was confirmed by Vogue China editor-in-chief Angelica Cheung, who spoke to Business of Fashion about the upcoming issue slated to hit newsstands on Monday.

According to Cheung, Apple approached Vogue China about highlighting Apple Watch in the magazine, corroborating earlier reports that the company is pushing hard to position the device as a fashion accessory.

"When Jonathan Ive and Tim Cook talked me through how they developed the concept of the Apple Watch from the beginning, I was impressed by their thoughts and passion for the project," Cheung said. "Then I saw the watches and thought they looked rather good; some are sporty and others are very classic and elegant. At the same time, they all have so many functions that would be useful in our daily life. I just thought that they combined technology, style and functionality and were very modern and, therefore, perfect accessories for the modern-day woman which is what the Vogue China woman is about."

Apple has already put together multiple meet-and-greets to show off Apple watch to fashion luminaries, the most recent being a September pop-up showcase at popular Parisian boutique Colette. Held during Paris Fashion Week, the gathering attracted fashion gurus like Vogue editor Anna Wintour and designer Karl Lagerfeld, while Apple designers Jony Ive and were Marc Newson on hand to field questions.

According to the publication, a dinner followed the Colette showing, with attendees given exclusive photos of the device as worn by models, shot by Davis Sims and styled by Karl Templer. Perhaps not by coincidence, the Apple-selected pair are also responsible for the Vogue China spread.

Apple chose China for its fashion editorial debut because of the country's culture responds well to products place at the intersection of fashion and technology.

"Chinese people are actually very digitally minded and we embrace new technology and digital products more easily than perhaps people elsewhere," Cheung said. "We are an ancient country but at the same time a very young country when it comes to fashion and new products. We love to embrace everything that is new, modern and positive. All these convince us that the intersection of fashion and technology is a natural progression, not something alien."

The November issue's release will coincide with Chinese preorders for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which are slated to go live on Friday, Sept. 17.

Apple has not yet set a release date for Apple Watch, instead offering a nebulous "early 2015" shipping estimate.