A new startup app is tapping into advanced artificial intelligence (AI) to create an immersive and interactive online shopping experience for fashion consumers.
By uploading several photos, Doji allows users to generate a 3D, lifelike AI avatar and virtually see how certain designer outfits and aesthetics look on them – whether just for fun or before buying them online.
Introduced in 2024, Doji is the portmanteau of the names of its founders – Dorian Dargan, a former designer of consumer products at tech giants Meta and Apple, and Jim Winkens, an ex-Google DeepMind researcher and AI engineer.
“Until now, it’s never been possible to try-on clothes when shopping online – making it hard to know what looks good on you.”
“My co-founder Jim Winkens and I needed a creative tool to explore new looks and products – so we decided to build it for ourselves,” Dargan said in a LinkedIn post announcing his virtual try-on app in January this year.
“With Doji you can style yourself – create a personalised AI likeness, easily try on real products and shop your favourite looks.”
After a few months in private beta mode, Doji Labs Inc’s app is now available on the iOS App Store in more than 80 countries.
For now, access is limited only to invited users.
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Personalised styling and shopping
To start, users must first upload at least eight selfies and two full-body photos to generate an avatar.
Within 30 minutes, the avatar is ready to try on curated outfits and build a digital wardrobe from designer brands like Prada, Balenciaga, Miu Miu, Loewe, Maison Margiela, Acne Studios, The Row, and Diesel.
From there, users can mix and match outfits virtually or even try on clothing not available on the app just by uploading a link from their preferred online store.
The app also directs users to external sites for purchase.
Reception
Doji has piqued the interest of fashionistas, techies, and venture capitalists since coming out of stealth mode in January and its subsequent launch on the App Store four months later.
In mid-May, the startup also raised a whopping $14 million in a seed round led by Thrive Capital with participation from Seven Seven Six Management and Origins Fund.
“With this new capital, we’re pushing our cutting-edge try-on and personalisation models even further and expanding the team across AI research, engineering, marketing, and operations,” Dargan said.
Before that, Doji secured a $6-million Series A funding led by Seven Seven Six, an early-stage venture capital firm started by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
Ohanian, also the husband of tennis legend Serena Williams, was among the first ones to test the app.
“AI is finally ready to make online shopping feel REAL,” he said.
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