Exciting Google and Gucci luxury smartglasses may be a bigger deal than you think

Luxury fashion house Gucci will collaborate with Google to release a pair of smartglasses in 2027, according to Luca de Meo, the CEO of parent company Kering.

On the surface, this is already good news, as the more companies with experience making eyewear working on smartglasses, the better. However, there may be more to this partnership that first meets the eye.

Google and Gucci

Luca de Meo, who joined Kering in late 2025, said Gucci smartglasses will "probably" arrive in 2027 during an interview with Reuters , but did not have anything more on the timeframe, design, or features to add.

Gucci is the first big-name designer to indicate it has struck a deal with Google, but it's not the first eyewear brand onboard.

Google is already working with the more mainstream Warby Parker, and with the fashion-forward Gentle Monster brands on its AI glasses.

Android Police had the chance to try a prototype pair of Android's AI glasses at MWC 2026, and even at these relatively early stages, the technology and fit are both impressive.

Bigger plans

While exciting, the Gucci deal may be just the beginning. Gucci, like so many luxury brands, is part of a larger group. Owner Kering also owns Kering Eyewear, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, McQueen, Bottega Veneta, Boucheron, and several others.

Although de Meo specifically mentioned Gucci in relation to smartglasses, he also talked about changes to the luxury market, his intention to bring the Gucci name back to the forefront of the luxury world, and crucially, an entire overhaul of Kering itself during a lengthy press conference last week.

In its coverage of the event, de Meo was described as a "technology enthusiast" by Fashion Network , and during Kering's Innovation Day at the beginning of the year, companies like Snap demonstrated augmented reality experiences tied to Kering's brands, and Google showed virtual try-on features using its AI.

Under de Meo's control, Kering isn't afraid to try new things, as he made clear to Vogue , saying:

To be a challenger, you need to leave room for mistakes, but in a controlled way. You don't bet the whole house on it; instead, you define a perimeter that's large enough to give yourself a chance to invest in brands in new geographies or new categories.

Only the beginning?

Smartglasses with Google seem to fit in with all this, and it's not much of a stretch to imagine it's deep in conversation with Snap too. Snap, don't forget, has major ambitions for smartglasses and associated AR tech over the coming years.

Beyond this, if de Meo sees smartglasses as a potential luxury product, he may have similar ideas about smartwatches.

Currently, LVMH-owned Tag Heuer, Louis Vuitton, and Hublot are best known for high-end smartwatches. Kering releases luxury watches of its own using the Gucci and Boucheron names, plus a range of fashion watches under its other brands too.

Kering and LVMH have a fascinating and fiery past , and there's likely still no love lost between the two luxury fashion houses. With de Meo's interest in tech and clear willingness to embrace it, we may see a new Gucci, Balenciaga, or Saint Laurent luxury smartwatch to compete with Tag Heuer's Connected Calibre range arrive in the future too.

The industry reacts

What's more, if LVMH sees Kering move into smartglasses with Gucci, it may decide to do the same with one of its many eyewear brands, which include Dior, Celine, and Fendi.

When asked about smartglasses, Alessandro Zanardo, CEO of LVMH's eyewear division Thélios, said in an interview with Vogue Business in mid-2025:

We are observing with great interest what is happening within the perimeter of our sector. That being said, we haven't decided whether we will enter it, but we will first ensure it is a suitable technology for luxury eyewear.

Given the success of rival EssilorLuxottica and Meta's smartglasses, plus Gucci's confirmed entrance into the market, LVMH should now see its potential too. It means we may be seeing the start of an influx of new luxury brands all experimenting with wearables.