Apple hires former YSL chief for "special projects" role

Consumer electronics giant Apple has hired former Yves St. Laurent Group CEO Paul Deneve to work on some unspecified "special projects" at the firm.

Deneve previously worked for Apple in Europe back in the 1990s, and has held jobs at fashion house Lanvin and perfume company Nina Ricci since then.

In a statement, Apple said: "We're thrilled to welcome Paul Deneve to Apple...[where] he'll be working on special projects as a vice president reporting directly to [CEO] Tim Cook."

Given Deneve's background, his appointment is bound to fuel speculation that he has been brought on board to oversee Apple's push into the wearable technology space.

The company has been at the centre of rumours for some time that it is on the cusp of releasing a wearable computing device known as the iWatch.

The rumoured wristwatch-type device is expected to be able to connect with user's iPhones and iPads, and Apple reportedly has 100 designers working on it.

Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple made an attempt to trademark the iWatch name in Japan last month.

The company is also reported to have filed a claim over the name in Russia, but stopped short of doing so in Europe perhaps because an Italian company already owns the iWatch trademark.