As the boundaries between fashion, jewellery and consumer tech continue to blur, wearable devices are being reimagined as luxury accessories as much as functional tools. Oura rings, Apple Watches, AI eyewear and smart earwear are increasingly serving as statements of taste, not just convenience.
For brands operating across these sectors, the commercial potential is significant, with forecasting service WGSN expecting demand for smart wearables to increase fivefold by 2029.
That opportunity is already prompting collaborations across the luxury, fashion and technology sectors. Fine jeweller Suzanne Kalan created Tech Ring Jackets to encase the Oura health-tracking ring, while bespoke jewellery designer Maggi Simpkins collaborated with Bose on bejewelled earphones for the Billboard Women in Music Awards 2025. Loop designed embellished Experience 2 earplugs to mark Swarovski’s 130th anniversary last year, and Huawei partnered with French jewellery brand Les Néréides on clip-on charms for its FreeClip 2 earphones. Meanwhile, Meta has teamed up with Ray-Ban and Oakley on AI eyewear, while Hermès, Missoni and even Swarovski offer interchangeable Apple Watch straps.
Yet the idea of reworking technology through a fashion lens is far from new. Ben Wood, chief analyst at market research company FDM/CCS Insight, points to earlier attempts such as Nokia’s 7280 “lipstick phone”, Siemens’ Xelibri 6 compact phone, the Swarovski jewel-encrusted Vodafone 533 Crystal and Motorola’s Moto Buds.
Fashionable tech historically has proved “a very difficult market to crack”, Wood says, owing to manufacturing constraints and the cyclical nature of fashion trends. Reiko Morrison, a consumer tech expert at WGSN, says balancing aesthetics with performance is another challenge. High-fashion designs must be compact, lightweight and crafted from “garment-like textiles”, she says, but making them durable enough for repeated wear without damaging the technology inside requires “extensive research and development”. She also warns that “gold and silver finishes create a literal ‘shield’ against wireless signals”, forcing engineers to conceal antennas or develop RF-transparent materials that do not disrupt connectivity.
For jewellers exploring this market, precision, durability and maintaining the device’s integrity are the main objectives. “Wearable tech is not occasional jewellery, it is worn constantly, meaning durability must be foundational,” says Kalan. “Comfort, ventilation, weight, and sensor accuracy must also be respected.”
Loop’s Experience 2 earplugs marked Swarovski’s 130th anniversary
Hermès offers interchangeable Apple watch straps
Loop had to “recalibrate” its entire design for its limited-edition Swarovski collection, swapping ABS plastic and silicone for stainless steel and crystal, without compromising the comfort and acoustic performance of its original earplugs, reflects co-founder Maarten Bodewes.
While jewellers are concerned that new iterations of smart devices could render their accessories obsolete, brands are embracing modular accessories and detachable features, which encourage consumers to “invest once and continue to use with every upgrade”, says Simpkins. Kalan says those modular creations, as well as timeless designs crafted from recyclable materials that can be worn consistently, with or without wearables, extend a design’s lifespan.
For Oura, the value proposition goes beyond aesthetics and functionality. Chief design officer Miklu Silvanto describes the brand’s app and membership as its “centrepiece”, using biometric data to provide personalised health insights. That positions fashionable wearables as more than a one-off accessory purchase and closer to an ongoing subscription service.
An Oura health tracking ring
Suzanne Kalan’s Tech Ring Jackets
Despite concerns that fashion can obscure functionality, experts argue that strong design can help wearable tech brands reach new consumers. “A lot of people are reluctant to wear tech because it’s unattractive, but would be interested if we refined the design,” says Simpkins. Kalan says she saw increased interest in wearables after launching her Tech Ring Jackets, while Loop reported a 60 per cent uplift in new consumers drawn in by its more aesthetic designs. As Bodewes puts it: “Design got them in the door, but function kept them.”
That balance is critical. For technology companies, partnering with fashion houses can broaden their appeal, but only if style does not undermine performance. “If style compromises function, you lose credibility,” warns Bodewes. Roxanne First, founder of the eponymous jewellery brand, agrees. “Adding a fashion layer can boost adoption, but only if the function is clear and jewellery isn’t an afterthought,” she says. Experts say this requires designers and engineers to work together from the outset, ensuring aesthetics and technology are integrated into the product rather than layered on afterwards.
The next phase of fashionable wearables is likely to move beyond rings and watches into new forms of earwear, eyewear and body-adjacent devices. Bodewes expects “a continued exploration in earwear and sensewear”, a direction that aligns with Simpkins’ plans to customise smart earrings, such as the Lumia 2, and over-the-ear headphones. FDM/CCS Insight’s Wood sees AI-enabled accessories, including pendants and pins, as the next growth area.
Morrison at WGSN believes advanced materials could push the category further, ushering in what she calls a “revolutionary era of wearables”. She points to smart materials, “specifically electronic textiles that integrate touch controls, haptic feedback, and embedded lighting”, as well as designs that respond emotionally or visually to the wearer. Such materials, she says, could “enhance our emotional and sensory wellbeing” by shifting colours and patterns to match mood or outfit.
That evolution also supports Silvanto’s view that wearable performance technology will become “integral to the future of preventive healthcare”, which she says could help detect, predict and ultimately prevent disease. For Morrison, the challenge will be ensuring that these next-generation products combine innovation with responsibility, proving that “sustainability and fashion-forward tech design can — and must — coexist”.
Whether high-street labels will follow suit remains uncertain. Kalan believes more affordable brands could enter the market through “different material options, modular designs or entry pieces”, but argues that fine jewellery brands are “uniquely positioned to lead” because they are used to designing for longevity. Astrid & Miyu is also exploring accessories for wearables, although Jade Lacey, its head of product development, says the challenge lies in “incorporating tech on a smaller scale with fine stone detailing”.
Ultimately, “tech for tech’s sake isn’t enough anymore”, says Bodewes. But novelty gadgets are unlikely to be enough either. For fashionable wearables to last, the next generation of products will need to combine style and self-expression with reliable functionality, smart technology and meaningful health support.
