Sexy, desirable and chic. These words apply not just to designers' fashion creations but also to a new trend designers are tapping - phone chic.

With Apple's iPhone being the accessory du jour, fashion designers have been coming up with luxury-brand applications for it.

They realise that consumers view a mobile phone as a personal statement, much like a fashion accessory.

The latest luxe label to launch an iPhone application is Italian fashion house Gucci. Its Oct 21 release comes a year after French label Chanel pioneered the high-end fashion iPhone infiltration.

Chanel's iPhone app, launched in July last year, offers Chanel devotees news of the brand.

Since then, at least four other fashion labels have followed suit, offering free apps that allow users to view their latest threads and fashion shows, among other things (see Dialling up style).

GROOVE TO THE GUCCI BEAT

Besides these basic features, which also include store listings and event updates, Gucci loyalists and budding DJs can toy with Gucci Beats, which allows users to mix tracks on a virtual turntable with loops exclusively created by English music producer Mark Ronson.

Ronson was roped in by Gucci's creative director - and self-professed music lover - Frida Giannini to imbue the project with a hip vibe.

That, and to plug a more direct business venture the duo have teamed up for.

The launch of the Gucci app has been timed to promote a range of 18 limited-edition sneakers for a travelling sneaker project named the Gucci Icon Temporary Flash Sneaker Store.

Incorporating Gucci's signature monogram, gold and silver dog tags as well as its trademark green and red stripes, the sneakers made their debut in New York last Saturday.

There are plans for the store to move to cities like London, Japan and Hong Kong.

While there are no plans yet for the store to dock in Singapore, the application will allow Gucci fans here to view the coveted collection.

This latest pairing of tech and chic follows Dolce & Gabbana's 2006 venture.

The Italian brand became the first fashion label to team up with a phone maker by producing a gold Motorazr V3i collaboration with Motorola.

Luxury brands like Giorgio Armani and Prada followed suit with collaborations with Samsung and LG respectively.

Earlier this month, home-grown label Raoul released 1,000 units of a rose gold limited-edition Nokia N97 set priced at $1,138.

RAISING THE BAR

However, many fashionistas would agree that Gucci has raised the bar.

Naysayers may call it a marketing tactic to create buzz for Ronson's Gucci collaboration sneakers, but the application's value-added music features go beyond Gucci's website, making good reason to download the free application from iTunes.

Indeed, a key feature of the application is a playlist of Giannini and Ronson's favourite tracks, which include Tranquilize by American indie rock band The Killers and Rapture by American punk rock band Blondie.

For hardcore Gucci fans, further insight on Giannini can be gleaned from the Gucci Little Black Book feature, which lists her favourite hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs in over 20 major cities.

She says in a press statement: 'Apps are the new virtual accessory so I approached the design of Gucci's first app in the same way I do with a bag or shoe.'

Tech-savvy fashionistas are lapping up these apps.

Freelance art director Zachary Goh, 29, says: 'Fashion iPhone applications enable instant updates and easy access to style references.

'They are also helpful for creatives like myself who need to convince clients about certain themes and looks that we want to achieve on projects.'

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This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.