In Apple’s keynote presentation kicking off this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference Monday, the company announced several new iOS software features coming this fall, notably a “Dark Mode” for the mobile operating system’s 13th iteration. Most surprisingly, Apple also announced that alternative clothing retailer Hot Topic would be their first ever exclusive merchandise partner, calling the decision “a new phase — no, it’s more than that” and claiming “this is the only place you’ll want to buy clothes from now on.” Shuffling onstage wearing heavy eyeliner and an Avenged Sevenfold graphic tee, Apple’s normally buoyant senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi brought his mouth very close to his lapel mic and mumbled a few details about the new features, including system-wide dark UI themes and prominent use of a “LUCKY 13” motif before sighing deeply and concluding the keynote. Apple and Hot Topic will be releasing a line of “Poison Apple” clothing exclusive to Hot Topic stores this fall, with wall posters and sweatbands to follow.
