Apple hires former Yves Saint Laurent CEO Paul Deneve Apple CEO Tim Cook contemplating his new wardrobe. Photo: AP/Paul Sakuma Source: AP Apple must be worried about going out of fashion. Why else would it hire Paul Deneve, head of Yves Saint Laurent, to do mysterious work under CEO Tim Cook? Bloomberg reporter Adam Satariano broke the news of Deneve's hiring yesterday, confirming industry rumours. But contrary to expectations, the fashion boss wasn't slotted into the vacant Head of Retail role. Instead, he will report directly to Tim Cook on "special projects." Whatever that means. With such a vague job description, it's only natural for our imaginations to fill in the gaps. Perhaps Deneve will be tasked with improving Tim Cook's fashion sense? The CEO is perfectly presentable, of course, but a little Yves Saint Laurent flair could make him stand out in any crowd. Steve Jobs had the famous turtleneck. Cook needs a trademark of his own. I'd throw some ideas around, but my own fashion sense is less than existent. A lovely floral scarf, maybe? Or maybe Deneve will be tasked with sprucing up Apple's existing products. He does have some experience in the tech industry, having worked in sales and marketing for Apple during the 1990s. Actually, most of the speculation surrounding Deneve's new role has centred around the push towards "wearable technology." Apple has recently trademarked "iWatch" in a bunch of jurisdictions, suggesting the development of a computer to wear on our wrists is well underway. Of course, we've all heard about Google Glass by now as well. Deneve could be tasked with overseeing the design of wearable technology, so the lucky new owners of new-age devices can feel smug in as much style as possible. Samsung and Google are also getting into the wearable technology business, so it's important for Apple's products to be attractive. Deneve could provide a very particular type of competitive edge as Apple tries to consolidate its dominance. It wouldn't want to go out of fashion, after all.