Fashion is, of course, a form of communication and a system of signs. It is also a tool, to present, project, protect or exhibit the wearer. Yet while utilitarian flourishes are everywhere on contemporary runways – belt loops for carabiners, proliferations of pockets – fashion has long declined to be much involved in things of actual use. 

That’s set to change with the announcement of EssilorLuxottica’s launch of a new marvel of medical technology with Nuance Audio. EssilorLuxottica, the French-Italian behemoth – maker of Ray-Ban, Oakley and Persol – might seem worlds away from medical technology, or “med tech”, as per the industry parlance. But with the release of all-in-one prescription glasses with built-in hearing amplification, Nuance Audio combines hyper-functionality with the  sleek design language one might expect from the exclusive manufacturer for Armani, Chanel, Miu Miu, Prada and Versace. Two tiny open-ear speakers sit snugly inside the arms of the glasses, amplifying sound and channelling it towards the ear canal. It’s a far cry from the heavy, clunky hearing aids of times past.

Significantly, these are intelligent aids. Nuance Audio, which was acquired as Nuance Hearing by EssilorLuxottica in 2023, has long been a pioneer in speech recognition technology, and now it combines this expertise with the expansive potential of AI. The technology can learn: the speech recognition capacity builds a profile of a person based on just a few moments of speech, and will adjust over time for ordinary human variation in tone, like having a cold. It links to a phone app that allows for more minute manual adjustments, too, such as lowering background noise and personalising sound levels for different rooms. Glasses as accessories, personal in your choice of shape and colour, are also embedded within Nuance Audio’s offer, with two shapes and two colourways launched this March, and many more on the horizon.

There remains a significant stigma around hearing loss, in part why the World Health Organisation estimates that 1.6 billion people with some degree of hearing loss do not access any form of medical intervention. As Nuance Audio understands, the hearing aid is a barrier both psychological and aesthetic, inhibiting people from being fully present in challenging environments. EssilorLuxottica has thrown its full €26.5 billion muscle behind the goal of making med tech invisible, friendly and omnipresent. 

It’s not the end of the story here. Imagine a future where Nuance Audio glasses not only allow improved reading and hearing, but also become health sensors – devices to read blood pressure, oxygenation and fall detection. The glasses might soon be running hearing tests themselves. With each upgrade, the product could pull further away from the single-feature medical devices that clog up junk drawers. Instead, the glasses become a Swiss Army knife of personal tech.

It takes a behemoth’s power – both in investment, distribution network and operational experience – to spearhead innovation within the hardware segment. EssilorLuxottica is the largest vertically integrated optical product, retail distribution, production and lens business, and has long made big bets on the future of eyewear. Their commitment to open innovation and expansive retail distribution means these solutions won’t be niche or ephemeral. Nuance Audio Glasses have already been distributed through 18,000 retail stores globally in the short time since their introduction this March.

As AI-piloted hearing, personalised visual aids, glasses that simultaneously translate, and sensor-driven health services flow into one discreet accessory, the division between “medical device” and “lifestyle tool” finally collapses. Sensory empowerment becomes ambient, whether you’re riding the train, working in a noisy office, or reading in a busy café, when you no longer have to choose between clear sight and clear sound. What was once a diagnosis has become a setting. The daily struggle against background noise is an engineering problem, not a destiny, and the hierarchy between medical necessity and personal choice begins to dissolve. The result is a testament to the radical inclusion fashion can afford. .