Introducing Whering: the IRL upgrade of Cher Horowitz's iconic closet tech
Are you worried that you have forgotten how to style yourself since lockdown? Look no further than Whering.
Do you spend unnecessary time rushing about every morning, frantically rummaging through your wardrobe to decipher what on earth to wear to impress on your 1000th zoom call since the pandemic? Better yet, even if you have a system to keep your zoom outfits on point, are you dreading having to think about the efforts of daily styling when restrictions lift? Whering, is your solution. A game-changing app that allows you to digitise your wardrobe to promote sustainable fashion choices. Thankfully, it even promotes outfit repeating! It will enable you to arise from the pandemic looking effortlessly well-styled and impeccably put together. Bianca went from working at Goldman Sachs to innovating a game-changing fashion app. To learn more about how she did it and what unique features make downloading it worth your while, read on.
By Hannah Tappin
Hannah: Bianca, you founded the innovative, digitising wardrobe app called Whering. Could you briefly summarise this process and what sparked the original idea for you?
Bianca: I founded Whering in the summer of 2020 because I felt there was a need to democratise the personal styling landscape and the way we interact with our existing wardrobes. The ‘buy-use-dispose’ model is fundamentally harming the environment and it seemed obvious to me that an app like Whering could help minimise this trend. I wanted to take it digital and harness the power of machine learning to hyper-personalise our fashion experience.
Although it might seem like an unusual transition, it was at Goldman Sachs that I was first introduced to the world of fashion. I spent the first couple of years of my career in Banking (Consumer and Investment Management Division). I was lucky enough to work on the IPOs for StitchFix & Farfetch, and spent a lot of time doing due diligence in the fashtech sector, machine learning & how it relates to personal styling. From there, the idea for Whering came naturally!
Hannah: Yes, I think its very interesting that working with companies like FarFetch whilst at Goldman Sachs sparked your initial idea combining fashion, machine learning and styling. I think there is something to be said about always remaining curious and spotting opportunities. Spotting links between sectors and industries seems key to aid innovation and broaden your knowledge.
‘I wanted to take it digital and harness the power of machine learning to hyper-personalise our fashion experience’
Hannah: You emphasise the need to create a product ‘for women by women’, why do you think brands should utilise co-creation and consumer feedback within the idea generation process?
Bianca: Feedback is so important! We’re currently building features in response to what our customers suggest. The idea generation phase is very exciting because this is when we can dream up all of these features that will optimise the app. Our ultimate goal is to create an app that will feature in the daily lives of women all around the world.
‘ We are creating Whering in our image, for women who are style-conscious and sustainably minded’
We are creating Whering in our image, for women who are style-conscious and sustainably minded. When we make all of these features it is also for ourselves, because we’re as excited as the next woman to take back ownership of our consumption and how we dress.
Hannah: You were originally in banking, working for large corporates, what was the transition into fashion like for you coming from a less conventional career background? Do you have any specific advice for those looking to pivot into creative industries?
‘I’d say my top tip is to speak to as many stakeholders in the space as possible - figure out how to sell your story - and help out whenever you can (this pays dividends later - it’s a very connected industry and people will remember you for it)’
Bianca: It was rough! Industries like banking and consulting are great schools and provide you with a tremendous breadth of transferable skills but nothing gets you ready for breaking into an industry in which you have no contacts or know very little about. For me it was really interesting to learn how to harness all these ‘tech startup’ hacks, changing the way I worked to adapt to a more relationship based environment, and spending a lot of time cultivating angles and pitches to different partners.
I’d say my top tip is to speak to as many stakeholders in the space as possible - figure out how to sell your story - and help out whenever you can (this pays dividends later - it’s a very connected industry and people will remember you for it).
Hannah: What excellent advice thank you for sharing! Whering’s model is highly sustainability focused, edging consumers away from fast-fashion consumption, do you think that encouraging women to get introspective and reflect on their wardrobes is the key to a more sustainable fashion future?
Bianca: Definitely. My goal is to encourage people to rethink their relationship with fast fashion and throwaway culture. I know that I have felt stuck in vicious cycles of not seeing what I already own, feeling a lack of inspiration and ending up impulse buying clothes that didn’t even fit into the wider picture of my closet.
Our mission is to extend the life cycle of the clothes we already own (and that are perhaps sitting idle in our closets). We are hoping to reduce the carbon and water footprint of consumers by focusing on the two parts of the value chain that they can control: purchasing and utilisation. Through digitisation and machine learning, ‘Wherers’ can track what they wear and understand their style. We encourage outfit repeating!
In the future, we are looking to integrate an impact dashboard to help our customers visualise the effects of their purchasing decisions. We’re also thinking about onboarding a network of green dry-cleaners, donation points and repurposing services across the UK to facilitate mending and donating.
Hannah: Yes, I think so many people can relate to this! I think a lack of organisation relating to our wardrobes can create stress and subsequent impulse buying behaviours, especially fast-fashion pieces. I love how you frame sustainability to consumers and enable them to take back control of their purchasing and product utilisation and I love that you encourage outfit repeating! The stigma of only being allowed to wear things once needs to be abolished for sustainability purposes. I look forward to the integrated dashboard feature, this sounds very interesting. Your App has amazingly solved one of the most frustrating moments woman face every day… Having a wardrobe full of clothes, yet feeling like you still have nothing to wear! How does the app simplify and provide styling solutions for our wardrobes and what key features enable this?
‘The essential (and free) features of the app are the digital closet, unlimited outfits and the Dress Me Button - an homage to that iconic scene in Clueless scene when Cher is picking out an outfit. This helps people unleash their creativity, put together style collages and helps them whenever they feel stuck’
Bianca: One of life’s great mysteries! I’ve heard people say they’ve only digitised 10 items, yet they feel like they have already revolutionised getting dressed. For me, I realised that my main frustration was not having nothing to wear, but nothing new to wear.
The essential (and free) features of the app are the digital closet, unlimited outfits and the Dress Me Button - a homage to that iconic scene in Clueless when Cher is picking out an outfit. This helps people unleash their creativity, put together style collages and helps them whenever they feel stuck.
We are using machine learning to offer tailored styling suggestions that enable you to view your wardrobe in a different way and receive new outfit ideas. We also aim for cohesiveness, so we help identify pieces so Wherers can unlock outfit combinations they had no idea existed.
Hannah: Yes, I love how you took inspiration from the iconic Clueless scene, it really brings the app to life in my mind. It’s so great that you provide free solutions for users to reconsider their outfit combinations and provide them a source of new inspiration. HannahRoseInspired explores the psychology behind creativity, ideas and experiences. How did psychology play a role in your creative process/ideas and how will it continue to do so?
‘This is why having a digital inventory is so key - to aid our visual memory and to foster the creative process. Not only does it allow you to ‘shop your own wardrobe’ to get that newness fix, but having an organised digital wardrobe helps you identify what you really need and what pieces can unlock a myriad of combinations’
Bianca: Like I mentioned earlier, I found part of the problem isn’t having nothing to wear, but having nothing new to wear. We keep buying because we think that just one more item will unlock our ideal wardrobe – but how can it if we have no accessible inventory of what we own?
This is why having a digital inventory is so key - to aid our visual memory and to foster the creative process. Not only does it allow you to ‘shop your own wardrobe’ to get that newness fix, but having an organised digital wardrobe helps you identify what you really need and what pieces can unlock a myriad of combinations.
You can also easily track most worn items and decide what’s worth donating or selling. But most importantly, you can create different versions of your best looks from the comfort of your couch. It makes getting dressed a lot more fun!
Hannah: Yes, I think your whole concept taps into consumer psychology and provides a creative solution. Having prompts and cues to aid our visual memory to appreciate how much we have, rather than strive to feel fulfilled with meaningless buys that lack psychological significance and connection to us. It seems less is more, but consisting of meaningful, well considered choices that carry longevity. For those with a passion, idea or looking to build creative solutions to problems they face, via either creating a product or service, what are three top tips of entrepreneurial advice you would give?
Bianca: 1/ Stay lean as long as possible. I really avoid any unnecessary spending.
2/ Figure out what you’re good at - fast - and figure out how to fill those knowledge gaps so you can hire accordingly.
3/ Keep testing - the temptation to release something and to keep adding on to what you’ve built is sometimes a little too great. Stay close to your target audience and make sure you stay relevant to them and constantly improve your product/service.
Hannah: Wow, what great pieces of advice, thanks for sharing. Integrated within the app, you have a fabulous list of relevant partners that encourage sustainable fashion consumption, could you talk through a few and how they complement Whering’s mission?
‘Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, so it’s important for us to stand by our values and partner with relevant organisations to help us achieve this’
Bianca: Our main pillars when suggesting clothes to our Wherers are sustainable, rental or resale. We are partnered with Rotaro, a fabulous rental and resale platform that have an incredibly well curated selection of clothes. Getting into the habit of renting clothes for formal occasions is a game-changer and allows for more experimentation with style - at a fraction of the monetary commitment.
We also try to highlight smaller but exceptional brands like Alexandra Hakim, the British-Lebanese brand that repurposes metals to make the most stunning jewellery.
Finally, we’re also partnered with CoGo (a Carbon Footprint tracker) and Ecologi (an organisation that helps companies plant trees to be carbon neutral). Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, so it’s important for us to stand by our values and partner with relevant organisations to help us achieve this.
Hannah: Brilliant! So for those new to the idea of digitising your wardrobe, what’s the best way to start, the easiest way to go about this and Why is this so beneficial to do?
‘When you make the most of what you already own, you are helping the planet by opting out of buy-use-dispose models but also you are helping yourself and your wallet’
Bianca: The best way to start is to go slow! I found the most effective way to digitise was to focus on ten or more pieces to upload every few days (usually when my clothes are fresh from the laundry and I’m putting them away anyway). I know it may feel like a big and slightly odd commitment at first - but it really is worth it.
When you make the most of what you already own, you are helping the planet by opting out of buy-use-dispose models but also you are helping yourself and your wallet.
Hannah: I love the fact you help the wider world and yourself in terms of waste reduction. This website is all about encouraging readers to get inspired, feel excited, and propel creatives towards fearlessly pursuing their passions and interests. What inspires you the most?
Bianca: Other social entrepreneurs and incredible founders who have pivoted in their careers to create sensational businesses or initiatives. There is so much to learn from their success but also their failures. I find case studies, podcasts and founder journeys to be hugely inspiring for all things customer acquisition, community building and product development (sorry, this is a bit geeky!).
Hannah: Not at all geeky! I agree with you! Final question Bianca, as you said a lot can also be learned from failures as well as successes. I would love to know, what has been your biggest learning curve in your career journey so far? What advice sticks out to you that you would tell your younger self based upon this?
‘you do learn from all your micro mistakes (as cheesy as this does sound) and find your place in your ecosystem. So for me it’s all about perseverance. Don’t resign when things get tough, keep looking at the mountain ahead and finding ways or hacks to just get one step further up - the view will be completely different and you’ll find renewed strength!’
Bianca: Hands down, starting Whering. I thought Goldman Sachs was tough, but running your own business comes with a multitude of different stressors - especially in the early days when you are growing into the role of Founder/CEO.
Similar to my first day on the trading floor, you do learn from all your micro mistakes (as cheesy as this does sound) and find your place in your ecosystem. So for me it’s all about perseverance. Don’t resign when things get tough, keep looking at the mountain ahead and finding ways or hacks to just get one step further up - the view will be completely different and you’ll find renewed strength!
‘The ability to surround myself with subject matter experts and call on their expertise is something I would highly advise my younger self - you don’t have all the answers. Without coming into contact with people who push your thinking, it will be tough to change the status quo with your product’
Knowing what you don’t know is perhaps my most valuable realisation as an early-stage founder. The ability to surround myself with subject matter experts and call on their expertise is something I would highly advise my younger self - you don’t have all the answers. Without coming into contact with people who push your thinking, it will be tough to change the status quo with your product.
Lastly - pay it forward whenever you can - it’s the biggest gift to receive but also to give (and has helped me so much in my journey so far!).
Hannah: Thank you so much Bianca. I love that answer, perseverance is such a great quality! I have also made note of everything you just said! It has been a pleasure to have you feature. So, to start digitising your wardrobe in order to benefit yourself and the planet simultaneously or if you just selfishly want to be organised and stylish with ease and convenience, click here to visit Whering and download the app quick! Want further inspiration, tips & support on digitising, then follow Whering on Instagram.