A Dubai-based digital styling platform is offering females across the emirate a VIP service so they can get exactly the right look, all from the comfort of their own home.
Founded by Heidi Shara in 2018, the homegrown concept, which was incubated by the Chalhoub Greenhouse, revolutionises the way women shop online, providing invaluable guidance from professional stylists.
Fusing technology and fashion, Wear That uses data sets to forecast trend predictions. allowing for customisation to be offered to each client, but at scale.
In an exclusive interview with Arabian Business, Shara explains how the brand is on a mission to offer real women accessible tools to elevate their style, in a simple, convenient and cost-effective manner.
When did you come up with the idea of Wear That or realise there was a gap in the market for the business?
Wear That was started in 2018 when I was working in luxury fashion as a buying manager.
I received a lot of requests for styling and fashion advice from friends, family and acquaintances, which led me to a realisation: For every day women – a personal stylist is not part of our every day life, however there was a strong demand for it. That’s when I created the concept of Wear That – a luxury service for everyday girls.
There was a gap in the market for styling services, as a service traditionally available for only VIPs or celebrities. My mission was to create a solution for all women that solves the issues of what to wear, finding the right fit, and eliminate the stress of shopping, while also being 100 percent personalised to each customer.
Heidi Shara, founder of Wear That.
What is your business plan?
The essence of our business model is quite disruptive to the retail market as we know it.
Our business is built on two main components, data and stylists. Customers provide data and the stylists are matched to the customer, to create the looks that are personalised to their individual needs.
The client comes onto the website and fills in a survey where we collect relevant data in terms of style choices, size, budget and other details.
Once completed, the customer is matched to a personal stylist, they have a consultation via Whatsapp, and based on the feedback, the stylist creates a box of outfits which are personalised for each profile.
The curated box is delivered to the customer where they get to try before they buy, keep items that are liked and return the rest. The stylist is also available throughout the process for guidance and styling advice.
Is the company bootstrapped or have you raised capital from investors? Can you take us through your funding journey?
At the initial stage, like many start-ups, we bootstrapped the business, overcoming obstacles with creative solutions without investing massive finances.
Part of the company culture is to always remain resourceful in every aspect of the business, so no matter how big or fast we grow, there is always a creative-solution-approach to the way we work. This is something I’m genuinely passionate about.
Wear That is incubated by the Chalhoub Group Greenhouse. Of course, raising funds is not easy for any entrepreneur, however, with a great investor who believes in you and your vision, the opportunities are endless.
Wear That is looking to expand within the GCC over the next 12 months.
What are your expansion plans?
Currently we have a set of exciting plans that we’re working towards. One part of it is expanding our women’s range to be more size inclusive. While the other is grander. We want to expand within the GCC within the next 12 months.
Since we started a little less than three years ago, we just merely scratched the surface of what we want to achieve for women in the region. Alongside the technology and data part of the business, the ongoing upscaling – there is a lot of growth opportunities ahead.
Where would you like to see the company in the next five years?
I would like to see the company continue to grow, and most importantly to continue to innovate the industry. Today Wear That is the leading women’s styling solution company in the UAE, and we would like to remain pioneering in everything we do.
What is your vision for the company?
The vision for Wear That is to be every real woman’s styling solution, in all aspects, including the development of consumers’ shopping patterns and advances in data and technology.
We are constantly working to enhance customer experiences, personalize and upscale the process, and disrupt the traditional way women buy clothes and get styling advice.
Every woman should feel empowered in the clothes she wears, and our goal is to provide that.
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