Michael Kors unveils a new smartwatch for the swish set at NY Fashion Week

The smartwatch slips the latest Silicon Valley technology into a familiar line of watches that already have a proven pedigree among the style set

"I'm a fashion freak, not a tech geek," said Michael Kors, his suntanned head poking out of a scrum of reporters Sunday evening at the debut of his new Michael Kors Access smartwatch at his SoHo flagship.

As A-list models like Martha Hunt (in a shimmering gold Kors trench coat) and Nina Agdal (in a black python Kors trench dress) patrolled the soaring space on lower Broadway, guests got their first look at the fashion world's biggest challenge yet to tech titans like Apple and Samsung.

Sure, New York Fashion Week may seem like an unlikely showcase for what is essentially a wrist computer, a product category that is usually rolled out at nerd-fests like the Consumer Electronics Show. But the Access smartwatch is intended as a best-of-both-worlds option. The smartwatch slips the latest Silicon Valley technology (a voice-activated Google search, fitness tracking, social media alerts) into a familiar line of watches that already have a proven pedigree among the style set. Indeed, over the last five years, it seems as if a chunky Michael Kors oversize watch has graced the wrist of every other female fashion professional under 30.

The goal was "come up with something that people could personalise and put their own stamp on," but also "makes life easier," Kors, dressed in a familiar ensemble (black blazer, black T-shirt and black aviator sunglasses) told a reporter for W.

Embracing technology is no easy thing for a fashion designer, since "we love what it does for our lives, but we don't always love how it looks," he added.

But even fashion victims not predisposed to geek out over the latest Android Wear interface might appreciate the Access smartwatch as a highly versatile fashion accessory.

The watch comes in two versions: the sporty black Dylan and the all-metal Bradshaw. With a swipe of the finger, users can switch between digital versions of the most popular watch faces from the analog Michael Kors line, like the Kerry, with its an evening-wear-ready pave dial. Owners can also customise their own watch faces by selecting the colour and style of the dial, hands and sub-dials to suit one's outfit. Lest anyone confuse the Access for a plain old watch that just tells time, the smartwatch also advertises its digital soul with animated dial options, featuring continuously moving images, like a glimmering cascade of gems.

(Despite the features, Kors gave the Access ready-to-wear pricing. Starting at $350, the Access is priced closer to entry-level smartwatches like the Motorola Moto 360 than to luxury smartwatches like the Movado Bold Motion, $695, and the Tag Heuer Connected, about $1,500. The company also introduced an Access activity tracker, starting at $95.) The head-turning features may prove crucial to the Access' survival in the increasingly crowded field of wearables, where manufacturers are looking for any competitive advantage. Just last week, for example, Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 2, featuring a water-resistant case and built-in GPS, at an event in San Francisco.

But where the Apple stage featured middle-age tech executives in jeans and sneakers, the Kors party left little doubt that the Access was intended as an accessory for the fashion crowd, capital F.

The model and D J Harley Viera-Newton, wearing a floral embroidered brocade dress, laid down a thundering beat, as disco-ish satellite chandeliers glistened overhead. A broadside of camera flashes, meanwhile, greeted Zendaya, the onetime Disney star, who showed up in polka-dot trousers and navy striped top with a matching collar from Michael Kors Collection.

As guests ate lobster roll appetizers and drank Champagne, one reporter asked Kors, who is no stranger to a bit of flash, to name his favourite of the Access watch's many dials.

"I'm personally partial to diamonds falling," he said with a smile. "You can never have too many diamonds."

©2016 The New York Times News Service