Google-inspired fashion makes debut

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Google went techno-chic on Friday, debuting fashion designs inspired by the Internet giant.

An "old-fashioned magnifying glass pendant" priced at 200 dollars was for sale online at googlestore.com along with a 300-dollar knit scarf in the firm's trademark colors and "peace" T-shirts for 85 dollars each.

The pieces were the work of emerging designers who last year were asked to come up with "one-of-a-kind" items inspired in some way by Google, whether it be the firm's colors, technology or mission.

The designs resulted from an annual fund-raising event by fashion magazine Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).

"Last October, we transformed 10 of the finalists' designs into iGoogle Artists themes," Google product marketing manager Michaela Prescott said in a blog post, referring to the iGoogle personalized homepage that users can manipulate or design to their liking.

"While we loved seeing fashion meet iGoogle, we wanted to see these pieces in person - and wear them!"

Google had its favorite designs customized for "a broader audience" and will have them available for purchase "for a limited time," according to Prescott. Proceeds will go to the Vogue/CFDA fund for nascent designers.

"Search is at the heart of everything Google does," Waris Ahulwalia said of his inspiration for the sterling silver magnifying glass pendant.

He crafted a "1" into the clasp of the pendant chain of 100 zero-shaped links to represent the "Googol" number on which the search engine's name is based.