Google is teaming up with luxury brand Gucci to create a premium version of its new Smart Glasses, which are expected to launch in 2027. The Verge reports that this collaboration is part of Google’s plan to make AI-powered eyewear more stylish for everyday use. Reuters also covered the partnership, quoting sources from Gucci’s parent company, Kering.
The Gucci-branded Google Glasses are set to launch after Google’s first Android XR glasses, known as “Project Aura,” which are expected later in 2026. Those initial glasses feature chunky black plastic frames similar to Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses. By partnering with Gucci, Google aims to offer a more fashionable alternative that can compete directly with Meta Ray-Ban’s successful lineup.
Why Google is partnering with Gucci for its smart glasses
This partnership tackles a key problem for wearable tech: smart glasses need to look appealing to become popular. The Verge reports that Google hopes teaming up with luxury fashion brands will help AI smart glasses succeed where earlier versions did not. Project Aura’s Google Smart Glasses mark Google’s second try at smart eyewear, coming more than ten years after the original Google Glass struggled to find an audience.
- Luxury positioning: The Gucci collaboration places Google Glass in a premium category, potentially attracting fashion-conscious consumers who would otherwise avoid tech-branded eyewear.
- Competitive response: The move directly counters Meta’s successful partnership with Ray-Ban, which has helped normalize smart glasses through a trusted fashion brand.
- Brand perception: As Snap CEO Evan Spiegel recently noted, “the Meta brand, I think, is not something people want anywhere near their face.” Google appears to be applying the same logic by putting Gucci’s name on its glasses.
Google has previously announced partnerships with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster for smart glasses, but neither brand carries the same global prestige as Gucci. The 2027 release gives Google time to refine the technology based on feedback from the initial Project Aura launch later this year.
In summary, the Gucci-branded Google Smart Glasses arriving in 2027 represent Google’s most ambitious attempt yet to make AI eyewear fashionable, leveraging luxury design to compete with Meta’s Ray-Ban partnership and overcome the stigma that doomed the original Google Glass.
