In Silicon Valley patois, to pivot is to change directions. It’s often used to refer to startups whose original ideas don’t turn out to be as promising as initially thought. But plenty of companies, big or small, established or starting, profitable or otherwise, that have pivoted. Within the tech industry, we have Nokia and HP and almost every Internet-based app and service. Offline, a notable example is Starbucks, which used to be an espresso machine retailer.
This week, chatter has it that a new pivot might be underway. Apple, one of the world’s most valuable brands and arguably the most admired tech brand, could be moving forward with its pivot from high-end consumer tech to high-end fashion—an idea that pundits have been throwing around since the company began hiring fashion execs almost two years ago, notably former Burberry chief Angela Ahrendts as head of retail and former Yves Saint Laurent chief Paul Deneve for so-called “special projects.”
Apple products have always been stylish. Their designers have always considered the form factor of each device they put out in the market. They were the first to move away from boxy and clunky devices in favor of smoother edges, luxurious-looking finishes and understated minimalism. The clean polished and refined look of everything from the original iPod to the latest Mac undeniably exudes style and superior levels of taste.
One could actually talk about the design of a new Apple product like they were reviewing the pieces on a Paris runway. As it is, Apple is perhaps the most sartorial of the major tech players.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the company now advertises on Vogue magazine and is “in talks” with upmarket fashion department store Nordstrom to peddle its wares.
With headlines such as Mashable’s “How the Apple Watch could reinvent fashion as we know it” and the Los Angeles Times’ “Apple Watch could become latest must-have fashion accessory,” it’s becoming more evident that Apple is re-positioning itself as a fashion brand. Particularly, the top-tier version of the Apple Watch, aptly called Edition, is a luxury smart wearable drenched in 18-karat gold (either yellow or gold) and strapped to a leather band. It costs between $10,000 and $17,000, similar to a Rolex.
Now, Apple is no longer targeting the “fanboys” and the techies who care about the CPU and the memory capacity and the responsiveness of the touchscreen. Their attention has shifted (or pivoted) to those who covet the season’s must-have even if it’s a tech device that they don’t know how to use. They’re also eyeing more discerning individuals who have over 10 grand to spend on something they’ll wear on their wrist for—at most—a year because by then, the Apple Watch 2 would have arrived.
While the Edition will never be a top-selling piece due to its prohibitive pricing and the assertion from Apple that it will be produced in limited quantities, the fact that it exists is a clear sign that the tech giant-turning-into-fashion house is trying to be aspirational and exclusive. What they’re essentially saying is that the Apple Watch Edition is not for everybody. In fact, it’s only for a select few. And that is what makes it a truly fashionable piece.