Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg helps Amazon launch Echo Dot concepts

By Patrick Hearn Published July 14, 2021

Have you looked at your smart home devices and thought, “Gee, I wish some of these were more stylish?” Now you have the chance to add a bit of flair to your smart home thanks to a collaboration between Amazon and the famous fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. This is done through the Build It program, a way for customers to pre-order limited-edition versions of popular accessories. In this case, the device on the table is the Echo Dot.

How Build It works

Build It gives customers a say in what devices are manufactured next. Customers choose from different concepts by pre-ordering the ones they want, often at a special promotional price. After its launch, the concept has a set pre-order goal that must be reached within 30 days. If it meets this goal, Amazon will build it, and those that pre-ordered will be the first to receive the product. If the concept doesn’t reach its goal, it won’t be produced. Either way, customers aren’t charged for the device until it actually ships.

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This system means that customers can vote with their preorders without wasting money on a device that may never be built. It’s Amazon’s version of crowdsourcing style.

Diane von Furstenberg concepts

Amazon Echo Dot Diane von Furstenberg concept on a table with a water bottle nearby. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Today, Amazon launched three new Build It concepts, all from Diane von Furstenberg: Midnight Kiss, Ikat, or Twigs.

Each of the three concepts is available for preorder for $60. Customers will have until August 13 (roughly 30 days) to place their pre-orders. If one or more of the concepts meets the goal, Amazon will begin production of these models. Proceeds from this pre-order go to Vital Voices, a non-profit that invests funds in female leaders fighting the world’s greatest challenges. Diane von Furstenberg will join Sophie Sumner on Amazon Live today to celebrate this wave of new devices and designs.

None of the new designs brings new features to the Echo Dot, but they do provide new, unique appearances to the devices. The patterns appear in the fabrics covering the speaker and will certainly act as conversation starters when guests visit your home. The pattern shown in the image above is Midnight Kiss. Twigs looks like purple leaves atop a red cover, while Ikat is a black-and-white design.

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