By Roger Fingas on Newswire
Apple has gifted Karl Lagerfeld with a specially-crafted Apple Watch featuring not just a yellow gold body but also a matching gold link bracelet, according to the fashion designer’s personal assistant and bodyguard.
Sebastien Jondeau shared a photo of the gift in a Wednesday post on Instagram. The value of the device wasn’t mentioned, but a yellow gold 42mm Watch costs $12,000 to $15,000, which could easily make Lagerfeld’s model twice as expensive or more. Regular Edition models use gold only in the body and parts like clasps and buckles.
Lagerfeld is the head of Chanel, Fendi, and his own fashion brand. The designer turned up at a Paris Apple Watch event in September alongside other famous fashion icons such as Vogue editor Anna Wintour. His solid-gold band was first noted by MacRumors.
The gift appears to be another example of Apple securing strategic product placement. The device has already been spotted in fashion spreads and on the wrists of celebrities like Drake, Pharrell Williams, and Katy Perry, despite it not officially shipping until April 24. Lagerfeld though is a major figure in the fashion industry, and targeting him could help build the Watch’s cachet in those circles.
Apple will be showcasing the gadget later this week during the Salone del Mobile, a major Italian furniture fair which also accepts some other design entries.