Apple And Vogue’s Mutual Affection

What do Apple and Vogue — two big brand names in two different worlds — have in common?

For one thing, according to a recent op-ed from Racked, a shared history.

On the eve of tonight’s (May 2) spring Costume Institute exhibit, “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology” — which is a joint production between Apple and Vogue — at the Met Gala, Racked presented a timeline of a number of previous collaborations between the respective tech giant and fashion media titan going back a couple of years, throughout which Vogue has proven to be a beneficial partner in promoting the Apple Watch in various instances.

As to why Apple and Vogue have come to rely on each other for cross-promotion in recent years, the outlet posits the theory that the strength for each (tech in Apple’s case, design in Vogue‘s) is something of a weakness for the other.

By example, Racked refers to Vogue‘s struggles to keep up in the digital media landscape, while Apple is in the unfamiliar position of competing (with companies like Google and Facebook) to come out with a breakthrough design.

The outlet views “Manus x Machina” as a continuation of the companies’ mutual reliance, with the event positioned to make Apple look fashionable (aesthetically speaking) and Vogue up-to-date (in terms of technology).

For change to truly take hold for both companies, however, the Racked story puts forth the notion that the partnership — while it does get headlines — will not suffice. On the contrary, the outlet attests, both Apple and Vogue need to rely on their internal — and independent capabilities — to solve their apparent weaknesses, rather than relying on each other (or any third-party company, for that matter) to do so.