AppleInsider Staff
Apple designers Jony Ive and Marc Newson were on hand in Italy to attend a high-fashion coming out party for Apple Watch at upscale Milanese restaurant Carlo e Camilla. During the festivities, important guests were provided early copies of Apple Watch, as well as what appears to be Sport Bands in custom colors.
Socialite Umberta Gnutti Beretta, wife of Beretta firearms president Franco Beretta, posted to Instagram a few photos of tonight's gala attended by Ive, Newson and fashion and design luminaries.
One picture shows Beretta picking out a Sport Band for her early Apple Watch unit, selecting from an array of at least of 15 different colors including numerous light pastels, bright yellows and reds. The unannounced colorways jibe with photographs from British rugby great Will Carling, who said Ive gave him an unreleased UK power adapter and red Apple Watch band.
Italian fashion blogger Audrey Tritto, who was also at the event, posted a picture of name placards from guests seated at her table. Among them was Ive, Newson and his wife Charlotte Stockdale (herself a London-based stylist and fashion director at i-D magazine), Vogue Italia editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani and sister Carla, Wallpaper magazine editor-in-chief Tony Chambers, Dom Perignon cellar master Richard Geoffroy, high-society journalist Nicholas Foulkes and more.
Apple is showing off its first foray into wearables in a one-day exhibition at this year's Salone del Mobile design fair. Newson joined Apple SVP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller at a demo session earlier in the day.
Although Italy is not among the nine Apple Watch launch countries, Milan is the fashion world's nerve center. A presence at Salone, followed by an invitation-only dinner, exemplifies Apple's efforts to position Watch as a high-end fashion accessory.
Apple Watch is slated to ship out to preorder buyers on April 24, but supplies are such that in-store purchases are not expected to roll out until June.
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207 Comments
Love the red and navy bands. Maybe we'll see these announced at WWDC? And before anyone disses these bands....in John Gruber's Watch review he called them "luxurious".
Its a different Apple now.
I get it, I can have my cake and eat it too, however, I'm finding this story and imagery awfully repellent for some reason. I get that Apple has long past the days of being the underdog, the little guy that we were all pulling for, but duck-face with guicci-toting fashionistas? Ugghh!
[quote name="msantti" url="/t/185848/jony-ive-and-marc-newson-reveal-special-apple-watch-sport-band-colors-at-milan-gala/0_40#post_2711826"]Its a different Apple now.[/quote] Is a diferent product and is not as easy to market as a phone or iPad. Android can tell you that. You got to do what most be done to get the product to take off.
Why bother to watch any keynotes anymore?
Appleinsider could just post images of various celebrities each day, and we can see how many unreleased Apple products and accessories that we spot.
I think that Apple should hire huge 350 lb bouncers to stand outside their stores, and from now on they will only let certain people in who look cool enough, just like they do at certain nightclubs.
I don't care if a customer is waving around thousands in cash, ready to buy a brand new Mac Pro, if they don't have the right look, then Apple should refuse them entry.