Computer science and fashion? Now, there’s a combination you wouldn’t expect! When Madé Lapuerta joined Google as an intern in the summer of 2019, she never imagined these two fields could intersect.

Fast forward to today, and Madé is the proud founder of Dashion, an online fashion magazine where she shares data analysis of runway collections with 280,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok.

Lapuerta is part of a new wave of pioneers revolutionizing the fashion industry through technology. Zalando has launched a digital assistant powered by Chat GPT, Stitch Fix is changing personal shopping, and Dress X is introducing a metaverse wardrobe. Few saw it coming, but the latest must-have in fashion is data.

The Slow Evolution of Fashion

The fashion industry has been slow to adopt technological advancements compared to other sectors. The film and music industries have already been transformed by streaming, with Spotify even gifting users their own data through ‘Spotify Wrapped’.

Fashion has lagged behind. The shift to e-commerce pushed retailers to invest in their online presence, leaving those who didn’t adapt, like Forever 21, struggling. Compared to the complex algorithms of streaming services, fashion retail might as well be stuck in the past.

A New Model for Fashion

Fashion week traditionally served as a trade show for buyers to decide on the upcoming season’s purchases. This created a gap between what consumers wanted and what buyers chose. Over the past fifteen years, companies like Moda Operandi have started putting customers back in control. Data can bridge these gaps in interesting ways, as demonstrated by the success of projects like Dashion.

Data, But Make It Fashion

Madé Lapuerta’s journey began at Harvard’s School of Engineering, where she was inspired by a documentary on Alexander McQueen. During her time at Google, she became familiar with image recognition models, sparking an idea: Could she train AI to detect products in runway shows? She could, and many others were interested in her findings.

What started as a small blog on Instagram has grown into a popular platform. Followers come to her page for insights into trends like the ‘clean girl’ aesthetic or fashion staples inspired by iconic looks. Lapuerta uses image recognition models to analyze runway collections, red carpet events, and TV shows, sharing the data with her followers through engaging infographics.

Stitch Fix: Revolutionizing Online Shopping

Online shopping can be overwhelming, but Stitch Fix, founded by Katrina Lake and Erin Morrison in 2011, changed the game. Initially using human stylists for personalized curation, Stitch Fix now employs AI-powered technology to learn users’ styles. They have accumulated nearly 5 billion consumer data points, translating this data into sales using LLMs from OpenAI and their own deep learning models.

What sets Stitch Fix apart is their use of genAI models trained by real stylists, enabling their Outfit Creation Model to generate millions of stylist-approved outfit combinations daily.

Zalando’s AI Assistant

Following Stitch Fix’s lead, many companies are personalizing their retail offerings. In 2023, Zalando launched their AI-powered assistant, which can understand context-specific prompts. For example, if you’re searching for a graduation dress for a UK university ceremony, the assistant will consider formality and weather to provide smart recommendations. Eventually, Zalando hopes the assistant will remember individual preferences and learn users’ styles over time.

Dress X: Fashion in the Metaverse

While personal shopping services transform online retail, Dress X is looking toward the metaverse. Their slogan, ‘Don’t Shop Less, Shop Digital Fashion,’ targets environmentally conscious consumers. Dress X offers a range of digital clothing that users can try on through an app before purchasing. These digital clothes can be added to photos and videos, allowing users to showcase their style across the digital realm.

The Future of Fashion: Powered by Data

The fusion of data and fashion has propelled the industry into new territory. With data-driven insights empowering consumers and guiding industry decisions, the future of fashion is marked by innovation, personalization, and sustainability. Trends are now decoded and shopping is revolutionized by the power of data, ushering in a new era for the fashion world.