Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, attended the Prada Fall/Winter 2026 Fashion Week show in Milan on Thursday, sparking industry speculation about a potential collaboration on AI-powered smart glasses. Zuckerberg was photographed in conversation with Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada’s Chief Merchandising Officer and son of head designer Miuccia Prada.
The high-profile appearance follows a CNBC report from summer 2025 indicating that Prada-branded AI glasses were in development. Meta has not publicly confirmed any such partnership and did not respond to a request for comment regarding Zuckerberg's presence at the event.
Strategic Expansion into Luxury Market
This potential move would represent a strategic expansion for Meta’s AI eyewear line, currently produced in partnership with French-Italian eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica. The collaboration has already yielded the Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta models. EssilorLuxottica announced this month that it sold over 7 million AI glasses in 2025, a significant increase from 2 million the previous year.
A Prada collaboration appears commercially logical, as EssilorLuxottica and Prada Group recently renewed their licensing agreement for eyewear under the Prada and Miu Miu brands. The existing deal, set to expire on 31 December 2025, was extended through to 31 December 2030, with a provision for renewal until the end of 2035.
Brand Benefits and Growing Concerns
Analysts suggest Prada AI glasses could grant Meta a foothold in the high-fashion luxury market, a segment its current sport and lifestyle-focused models do not address. Establishing the glasses as a luxury symbol could also provide an overall brand lift for Meta.
However, the launch would come amid a growing consumer backlash against perceived surveillance devices. This public sentiment has recently manifested in incidents involving Ring doorbells and Flock safety cameras. In response to this shift, The New York Times reported that Meta is reconsidering plans to add facial recognition features to its glasses, a report that drew criticism for the otherwise successful product line.
The concern is tangible enough that one developer has created an application designed to alert users if someone wearing Meta AI glasses is nearby.