The New “Shazam for Clothes” – Fashion Meets AI!
Welcome to the future of fashion, folks! If you’ve ever scrolled through Instagram and thought, “Wow, I wish I could wear that engagement ring as a dress!”—well, now you can! Meet Aesthetic, the company that’s about to make every outfit you spot on social media just a little more accessible. This week they launched their innovative fashion concierge service, Alma—which, spoiler alert, is not a funky new name for your grandmother.
How It Works: Simple as Pie, Only Yummier!
So, you’ve seen a killer outfit on TikTok that makes you question every piece of clothing you own? Just send a link to Aesthetic on TikTok or Instagram, and voilà! Alma will help you shop the look or stash it away on your personal collection board, Lookbook. It’s like having a fashion assistant who understands your hopeless obsession with onesies or that neon tracksuit you once regretted buying—no judgment zone here!
Meet the Man Behind the Magic: LJ Northington
The mastermind behind this techy fashion revolution is LJ Northington. The CEO is essentially your next best friend for fashion, claiming he wants users to save, shop, and share their fashion inspirations without the hassle of navigating away from what they’re obsessing over. You know, because switching apps is, like, so 2019.
Northington got this brilliant idea after realizing e-commerce could do with a hefty dose of innovation—because shopping for clothes shouldn’t feel like deciphering ancient hieroglyphics while blindfolded! Having danced his way through projects with high-flying creative directors right out of college, he quickly pivoted from pondering the meaning of life to simply asking, “How can I figure out what people want to wear? Oh, I know! Look at their social media feeds!” Genius, right? It’s like an outfit decoder ring but without the cereal box.
The Bigger Picture: Monetizing Styles
Northington has plans as big as his dreams! Picture creators collaborating with brands to set up Aesthetic pages where fans can shop for the latest trends showcased by their favorite stars. Because you know how everyone sports silver gear for Beyoncé’s latest tour? Fashion just found a sneaky way to cash in on that excitement instead of just putting it on a mood board to collect dust!
Financial Backing: All About That Fundraising Game
Now let’s talk dollars and cents. While Northington is keeping tight-lipped about how much funding has come Aesthetic’s way so far, he’s garnered interest from the likes of Slow Capital and Zeal Capital Partners—heavy hitters! Add on some advisors like Victor Herrero, formerly of Guess, and we’re talking a solid support team. Even Google Cloud is in on the action, funding their proprietary AI/ML platform faster than your average influencer goes through a wardrobe change!
The Background: It’s All in the Mind
Before diving into the fashionable waters, Northington was part of Westbrook—yes, that media company founded by Jada Pinkett and Will Smith. He initially dreamed of making it big as an NFL player, but perhaps the universe had other plans (some people just can’t throw a ball!). And here’s a plot twist: he even studied psychology at Harvard, which is probably why he talks about building consumer tech like a philosophical social experiment. Clearly, the guy is not just playing with dolls!
Final Thoughts: Fashion, Psychology, and AI, Oh My!
In a nutshell, Aesthetic, with its fashion-forward AI, is set to change the way we experience clothing shopping. No more FOMO when you see that perfect ensemble on your Insta feed. Instead, you can jump right into the fray, buy it all while avoiding the frustration of those pesky local stores! So, whether you’re channeling your inner diva or just looking to stock up on the latest trends without the effort, Alma is here to give you a digital fashion assist that might just out-great fashionistas themselves. And who knows, maybe in the near future, fashion will be as effortless as ordering a pizza. Extra cheese, please!
Aesthetic, a groundbreaking fashion startup launched this week, aims to revolutionize the way consumers identify and shop for clothing, positioning itself as the “Shazam for clothes.” The company leverages cutting-edge AI technology to enable fashion enthusiasts to seamlessly discover and purchase items they come across on social media platforms.
This innovative fashion concierge, known as Alma, simplifies the shopping experience for users. For instance, if you spot an outfit that captures your attention on Instagram, you can easily send a link to the Aesthetic account via TikTok or Instagram direct messaging. In response, Alma provides a direct link to the Aesthetic website where consumers can not only shop for the look but also save it to a personalized collection board named Lookbook, enhancing the shopping experience.
CEO LJ Northington emphasizes the mission of Aesthetic, stating, “Our goal is to help users save, shop, and share their fashion inspiration without having to leave their favorite social apps.” This vision reflects the company’s understanding of the integral role social media plays in modern shopping behaviors.
Northington identified a persistent gap in innovative technology within the e-commerce space. After completing his college education, he worked on a project with a well-regarded creative director, who voiced dissatisfaction with the lack of tech advancements in shopping. This prompted Northington to explore personal shopping solutions, leading him to reflect on how to effectively gauge someone’s unique aesthetic preferences.
He articulated a pivotal realization, stating, “What’s the easiest way to learn someone’s aesthetic? The answer was pretty simple: look at their social media feed,” he shared with TechCrunch, highlighting the intrinsic connection between social media and personal style exploration.
Northington envisions a bright future for Aesthetic, recognizing that aesthetics have become a dominant force in contemporary pop culture. He is actively discussing collaborations with brands and record labels, exploring how artists can craft their own Aesthetic pages, enabling fans to shop their unique trends. For example, the overwhelming trend of silver attire inspired by Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” tour or the vibrant neon green outfits associated with Charli XCX’s Brat Summer illustrates the potential impact of the app on fashion followers.
While Northington chose not to disclose the company’s funding specifics, he revealed that Aesthetic has garnered investments from notable firms like Slow Capital and Zeal Capital Partners, bolstered by a roster of experienced advisors, including Victor Herrero, former CEO of Guess, and Kelly Helfman, president of Informa Markets Fashion.
The startup’s proprietary AI and machine learning platform receives significant backing from the Google Cloud AI startup program. “We’re using the money to get to profitability,” Northington mentioned. “Luckily, Google is helping us out with some of the larger AI items, so we’re able to run a pretty cost-efficient business.”
Prior to launching Aesthetic, Northington honed his skills in business development and strategy at Westbrook, the entertainment and media company co-founded by Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith. Despite his lifelong aspiration of becoming an NFL player, his father’s entrepreneurial endeavors significantly shaped his outlook, leading him towards the business realm when sports opportunities didn’t materialize.
He also holds a psychology degree from Harvard, which provided him with valuable insights into consumer behavior and motivation. “Building consumer tech in today’s world is a very psychological, philosophical endeavor,” he explained. “Building a consumer app is basically one big social experiment.”