When Google’s first smart glasses failed a decade ago, the biggest complaint wasn’t about software — it was that they looked ridiculous. For its second attempt, the company is leaning on one of Korea’s most fashion-forward eyewear brands to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
At Google I/O 2026 on May 19, the company unveiled its “intelligent eyewear” line, built on the Android XR platform developed with Samsung and Qualcomm, and confirmed that audio glasses — the first of two planned product types — will launch this fall. The frames come from two partners: Warby Parker, and Seoul-based Gentle Monster, according to Google’s official announcement.
The partnership follows a reported $100 million investment by Google into Gentle Monster’s parent company, II Combined Co., first reported by Korea Economic Daily’s KED Global in June 2025, which would give Google roughly a 4 percent stake in the eyewear brand at a valuation of about 3.6 trillion won ($2.5 billion) — nearly triple the company’s valuation when it first became a “unicorn” in 2020. Founded in 2011 by Kim Han-kook, Gentle Monster has grown into a global brand known for sculptural, avant-garde store design and a following that includes Blackpink’s Jennie as brand ambassador, along with celebrities like Kendrick Lamar and Gigi Hadid. In 2024, II Combined posted 789.1 billion won in revenue, with international sales making up 38 percent of the total.
Google’s audio glasses connect to its Gemini AI assistant through a “Hey Google” wake phrase or a tap on the frame, letting wearers ask about their surroundings, get turn-by-turn walking directions, manage calls and texts, translate speech in real time, and snap photos — all without pulling out a phone. Google says the glasses will pair with both Android and iOS devices, and that Gemini can handle some multi-step tasks in the background, such as preparing a food delivery order that only requires the wearer’s final confirmation.
The bigger strategic story is Google’s shift in positioning. After its 2013 Google Glass drew criticism for its bulky, asymmetrical design and privacy concerns tied to its visible camera — and was discontinued in 2015 — the company is now explicitly framing smart glasses as a fashion accessory first and a tech device second, following a similar playbook to Meta’s Ray-Ban partnership. Pairing with Gentle Monster, known for design most tech companies wouldn’t attempt, is central to that bet.
For Gentle Monster, the deal marks a striking pivot from department-store flagship spaces to a lead role in one of Silicon Valley’s most closely watched product categories — and a rare instance of a Korean fashion brand shaping the industrial design of a major US tech product from the ground up.
Source: Google (official announcement, May 19, 2026); Jun-Ho Cha, Dae-Eun Choi and Jong-Kwan Park, KED Global, June 20, 2025.
