styling apps

“Who needs guns and ammo when you can put on a Chanel jacket and Manalos. Those pieces are empowering.”

The fashion industry, clued up on the advantages of connecting with younger, as well as female customers, are launching styling games.

Two new apps have launched this Autumn aimed completely at the female market who love styling and buying clothes. Drest follows a path paved by mobile app Covet Fashion, launched by Lucy Yeomans, former editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar UK and also the founding editor-in-chief of Porter (Lieber, 2019), stated that she wanted to give people the access to new season collective, top models and inspiring locations just like she did in her previous careers, essentially allowing any individual to become a high fashion Stylist. The app allows the user to dress up an avatar using in-game currency and complete a series of style challenges, for example, dressing clients for the Met Ball or styling model Kate Moss and Vivienne Westwood for a photoshoot. You can then submit your created look to the community page, where users can rate them and the highest rated receive virtual prizes within the app. An important aspect of the app is the fact that all of the clothing on the app is available to purchase through their partner FarFetch, I feel this is one of the apps main unique selling points.

Similarly, there is the recently launched app Ada, named after Ada Lovelace. This app allows you to use luxury collections to dress-up an avatar in a fully customised location. For example, you are able to pick from a series of luxury interiors, such as, Armani furniture, which you can place and organise in a way that suits your preference. Following this, you then dress up your chosen avatar in whichever designer you wish, for example, Prada. Upon completion, you are then able to take a series of shots to share on your social media. It provides the user with an opening to high end fashion, who perhaps can’t afford to shop on the likes of Bond Street (Pithers, 2019).

I am unsure on how effective these apps could be and it is evident that in order for them to be more successful a large amount of marketing is required. Before conducting my research, I was unaware of both of these apps, so I decided to do some market research to see if I was the only person. It was further was clarified in the responses I received from my questionnaire that not many people are aware of these apps, with 88.8% having never heard of them.