Veristyle: The Democratisation of Fashion

In the summer of 2020, Ria Chakrabarti embarked on a journey that would blend cutting-edge AI technology with the world of fashion, ultimately giving birth to Veristyle.

Her journey began with a passion for styling and a love for blending Indian and Western clothing. Inspired by this and her time at university, conducting research on AI's application in bladder cancer prognosis, Ria sought to combine this innovative technology and her love for experimenting with impactful styling methods, translating it into what has become a revolutionary fashion app.

Ria's inspiration for Veristyle came from a personal realisation - the impact of styling on her confidence and newfound joy she experienced when shopping. By harnessing her expertise in computer science and AI, she aimed to bring advanced styling methods to the masses, methods that were previously accessible only to those with substantial budgets.

Initially, Veristyle was designed for friends and family, but it became clear that there was a broader market for this novel fashion tool. Millions of women across the globe were discussing styling methods on social media, which led Ria to realise the potential impact Veristyle could have on so many people’s lives.

The app officially launched in March of this year, with a goal of reaching 5,000 users by the end of summer. That goal was surpassed in just a month. The app continues to go from strength to strength, now boasting a user base of over 30,000. As a bootstrapped company, scaling up has been challenging, but the team is diligently working on ensuring the app's infrastructure can handle the increasing user load.

Veristyle is more than just an app, the potential uses for its AI are endless. Ria is currently working with retailers in the hope of integrating the Veristyle experience with their platforms. This collaborative endeavour, when realised, shall grant users the power to sift through the offerings of select brands, harmonising them effortlessly with the advice they have received from Veristyle.

In tandem with this, the team is exploring the application of generative AI and its ability to craft unique designs to accentuate user’s individual styles based on the app's fashion insights.

Despite being a first-time founder, Ria is on a mission to change people’s perception of the fashion industry and increase accessibility to this often very exclusive world.

What sets Veristyle apart is its all-female team, with backgrounds in fashion and an unwavering commitment to making the industry more inclusive and accessible while also making shopping a more joyful and empowering experience. Veristyle’s AI, used to discern subtle differences in individuals' bodies, has been able to seamlessly shift its cutting-edge computer vision, used in healthcare, to fashion. The app has been extensively trained and tested on a diverse range of images, ensuring it caters to all women. This goes a long way to fighting the bias often found in the work of both human stylists and other AI applications.

Veristyle doesn't replace human creativity; it amplifies it. The AI doesn't create styling methods but provides affordable access to often expensive styling advice. It expedites human creativity, making it available to the masses.

Looking to the future, in a world where stylists themselves are celebrities, Veristyle is looking to collaborate with industry leaders, infusing their expertise into the AI to make the platform even more dynamic and personalised.

Veristyle's story is not just about fashion but about the power of technology to democratise access to the art of personal style. It's about boosting confidence, celebrating individuality, and making high-end styling advice available to all. As this revolutionary platform continues to grow, it's poised to leave an indelible mark on the fashion world.