Apple hires former Yves Saint Laurent CEO for 'special projects'

What’s up Apple’s sleeve? It has been reported that Apple has hired former Yves Saint Laurent CEO Paul Deneve to work on “special projects”. Deneve will be joining Apple as Vice President to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Before you go “huh?” it has been revealed that the “special projects” Deneve is slated to work on do not include retail projects. The news was broken by Bloomberg’s Adam Satariano, who did not specify what special projects Apple has on its mind.

In for the iWatch? (Image credit: 9 to 5 Mac)

Deneve has evidently been brought in to fill former Head of Retail John Browett’s shoes, but we cannot be sure what projects he will be a part of, to start off with. It must be noted that there has not been a major Apple product release since Browett’s departure back in October 2012. With the launch of iOS 7 and the impending iWatch being in the news, it is possible Deneve could be working on the design or marketing side of things for Apple.

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The iWatch seems to be the most plausible explanation as to why Deneve is with Apple at this point in time. Apple has gone ahead and trademarked the name “iWatch” in Japan and Mexico, adding fuel to rumours that the iWatch announcement could be coming soon.

At the D11 conference hosted by All Things D last month, Apple honcho Cook had hinted at the Cupertino company delving into the “profound” world of wearables soon. He mentioned the need of these wearables to be a reflection of the wearer’s style and personality. Could Deneve have been brought on to add style and glam appeal to the iWatch design? Now to wait for Apple to drop some more hints about the much-awaited iWatch.