Is fashion-styling app Drest the future?
Is Drest about to change our digital shopping experience?
More and more of us are embracing virtual reality, but how does gaming cross into the territory of style?
Enter Drest: the world’s first luxury convergence platform with gamification, shopping, creativity, content and entertainment. Imagined and founded by Lucy Yeomans, former editor-in-chief of Porter, Net-A-Porter and Harper’s Bazaar UK, it turns gamers into stylists and allows fashion brands to connect with consumers in a creative and interactive way.
If you’re questioning whether this concept will work, just know that in 2019, 63 per cent of mobile-game consumers were women, and augmented reality technology is only growing day by day. Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Prada, Off-White, Loewe, Chloé, Thom Browne, Burberry and Stella McCartney are already on board, and the app is still in its soft launch phase with full features set to be rolled out later this year.
So how does it work? You get to flex your styling muscles by dressing up an avatar – it could be the world’s top supermodel like Natalia Vodianova or one of your favourite influencers – using in-game currency. Once you have chosen her hair and makeup, positioned her in whatever setting you want, your look is released to the Drest community for users to rate. If you fall in love with the look, you can then shop it via Farfetch. With time, users will have their own avatar to style.
Drest aims to democratise fashion content, and encourages the sustainable production of content as well as thoughtful consumerism, allowing fashion lovers to express themselves and experiment virtually – to ‘style before they buy’. The platform will also incorporate philanthropy at its core by spearheading initiatives as well as donating five per cent of every micro-transaction generated in-game to causes that support digital responsibility, mental health, body positivity and female empowerment.
Below, we speak to key members of the Drest team to learn more about why this is the future of gaming and fashion.
Lucy Yeomans, creator, founder & CEO, Drest When did you realise that a gaming element can help a lot with engaging people in fashion? About ten years ago, when my nephews discovered video games, I noticed an interesting synergy between gaming and fashion. The two worlds actually have a great deal in common: immersive storytelling and fundamental elements of fantasy and escapism. Back then, gaming was very much targeted at a young male audience, whereas now the gaming audience is larger than that of film, television and music audiences combined and more than 60 per cent of those engaging with gaming are female. During my Net-A-Porter years, brands were increasingly asking for ideas and content pitches that would resonate with the Millennial and Gen Z audiences so they could engage with them in innovative and more immersive ways, gaming affords a uniquely interactive and highly engaging experience and so my idea to create the world’s first luxury fashion game was born. You instantly had a number of luxury brands on board. What was it about the concept that appealed to them? The brands were excited about how the new frontier, Drest, provided engagement and connection in a highly immersive and creative way with fashion lovers on a global scale. The platform weaves inspirational real-time editorial content in the form of styling challenges, virtual and real-life new season clothes, avatars created from fashion and celebrity talent, as well as community features, allowing users to be inspired by the thousands of creations of other Drest stylists. Our worldwide partnership with Gucci launched in October last year –
we cast one of their faces, Unia Pakhomova, into the game so that the dedicated brand challenges were truly representative of their Autumn/Winter 2019 campaign. We currently work with over 160 of the world’s leading luxury fashion brands including Bottega Veneta, Prada, Off-White, Loewe, Chloé, Thom Browne, Burberry and Stella McCartney – and this list is continually growing.
How has your career background helped shape the app?
I took on the role of editorin-chief at Harper’s & Queen aged 29, and led the rebrand to Harper’s Bazaar UK, which at the time, was considered a rather radical move. After twelve years I joined luxury e-tailer, Net-A-Porter to oversee and deliver their content strategy and launch the company’s weekly digital magazine, The Edit, followed by a bi-monthly fully shoppable print title, Porter. Until then, editorial content and e-commerce had never been so deeply linked. I saw the fusion of a seamless end-to-end fashion experience with a game-changing service element as a way to truly elevate the content experience and better serve the reader. Drest is this and more – I am forever fascinated figuring out how to captivate and delight our reader, our shopper and now our user.
I hope Drest will allow a wider audience to get close to the highly creative and expressive world of fashion: getting to know the designers, the brands, the stylists, the models and their stories, as well as, of course, discovering the eclectic and beautiful array of luxury products at close quarters. Above all, however, I hope Drest will become a place for users to unleash and realise their creativity. The platform encourages and celebrates individuality and self-expression and I am constantly blown away by the beauty and flair of our users’ creations.
What do you hope users will take away? Talk us through a little bit about how you built a team for Drest – what qualities were you looking for?
Firstly, a total passion for and belief in the project. Whether recruiting a head of brand partnerships, a chief technology officer, a fashion director or a game economist, it is fundamental that everyone is 100 per cent into the idea, as well as being ambitious, creative and agile in their thinking. It has been fascinating bringing together talents from different worlds and disciplines. I have quickly learned to really value the people who are willing to learn about different elements of the business other than their own. Start-ups can also be tough and stressful at times, so creating and promoting a culture of kindness and collaboration has also been key.
There’s also an element of philanthropy in the business?
We have embedded philanthropy into the very core of Drest. We will be creating interactive storytelling to support and promote the charities selected by our guest talent, our brands, our own company and, in time, our users. We have also committed to donate five per cent of all inapp purchases to these pledged causes.
What was it like entering a gaming space from a fashion angle?
Some have said that the bringing together of the worlds of fashion and gaming is an industry disruptor, whereas I see Drest, like other technology innovations, as simply the next step in the evolution and democratisation of the fashion content, inspiration and discovery journey. And one, that I hope, adds a new layer of fun, creativity and delight to the experience, enabling audiences everywhere, and not just the select few, to have access to, discover and enjoy all that our incredible world has to offer.
What is your viewpoint on digital-only collections?
Digital fashion offers a fun and exciting way to scratch that desire for newness and a creative way to say something about your style and aesthetics and discover fashion in a sustainable way. However, there is a need for real-life garments and, I hope, an appreciation of the beautiful craftsmanship so many talented designers display through their collections.
We spend more time on our phones than ever, how do you manage to switch off?
I am a big walker – be it in London or the country – I love being outside so am particularly excited about an upcoming collaboration between Drest and a fitness app that promotes and rewards taking steps outside. I also love to read, and since my daughter started reading (she’s now seven) I have abandoned the Kindle in favour of printed books so she understands the difference between me working and being on email and actually enjoying a great novel or biography.
In a fast-moving tech world, how does Drest stand out and what are your ambitions?
Drest blends the real and virtual fashion worlds together like no other app, giving users access to the most influential and inspirational people, brands and locations. This year we are launching an incredible cast of real-life supermodels into the game and will grow our digital assortment to include menswear, fine jewellery and watches. Our roadmap is filled with new features – one of which will be part of our exciting partnership with Elbi – Natalia Vodianova’s social enterprise platform. We will integrate philanthropy into our tech, enabling users to learn about and donate directly to charities without having to leave the Drest app.
We currently work with over 160 of the world’s leading luxury fashion brands including Bottega Veneta, Prada, Off-White, Loewe, Chloé, Thom Browne, Burberry and Stella McCartney
What was it about the concept of Drest that appealed to you?
Drest has so many facets; it’s a polyconcept, a true convergence platform that interweaves gamification, personalised daily content and e-commerce into one. We are carving out a greenfield business model which really excites me.
How has your experience at Net-A-Porter and The Modist shaped your approach to Drest?
Net-A-Porter provided me with a bedrock of learning across the world of fashion and ecommerce. I learned practically everything I know around retail and digital from my time there. Following that, The Modist introduced me to the world of the start-up – it was an incredible experience and I was lucky to work with an incredible founding team. Both roles have set me up for so much success as I re-join Lucy in this new venture.
Before taking on the role, did you have much experience with phone gaming?
I’ve been obsessed with Two Dots (a game that Emily was core to building) for a long while; I use mobile gaming as a way to decompress at the end of the day. I am now, of course, completely hooked on Drest – it combines my love of fashion, aesthetics, community, play and messaging all in one. It’s simply the most creative platform and I love to end my day creating digital art.
Why do you think Drest is relevant to today’s consumers?
Drest has content, gamification, shopping, entertainment and philanthropy fully embedded into the platform. Today’s consumers are creators, seeking ways to express themselves in an authentic and user generated way. They value and demand realness in their virtual lives and strive to make the world a better place – we recognise this and understand the need to engage with users in ways beyond pure traditional advertising. Our fashion game gives users everywhere virtual access to all the elements that, until now, only magazine editors could enjoy – beautiful new season clothes, top supermodels, stylish hair and makeup as well as incredible locations – to compete with and create their own fashion stories. Every piece styled and experimented with can also be shopped in real life through Farfetch and brands directly. Drest is a true end-to-end consumer experience.
Is this a great way for brands to connect with Gen-Z?
From a business standpoint we see a remarkably high average daily play time of 30 minutes so we make decisions built on rich user insights. For brands and advertisers, this represents an invaluable opportunity to connect and interact with a highly engaged audience in new and immersive formats. This also means we can use fashion as a force for good by raising awareness of causes and charities in the editorial narrative via game challenges and other user journey mechanisms, all of which highlights our social enterprise initiative.
Does it surprise you that consumers are happy to spend money on digital items?
Quite the opposite. Drest provides users with a level playing field – we have created an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity – a place where everyone is given access to the world’s leading luxury brands, talent and locations to generate, play and compete with their own unique fashion content. Many cannot afford to invest in real-life luxury clothing, but in Drest everyone can ‘own’ a Prada coat or Bottega Veneta bag either via winning rewards and therefore Drest dollars or by purchasing ingame currency for as little as Dhs12 (£2.99).
Do you think apps like this can contribute to sustainability efforts in fashion?
Absolutely, we create beautiful fashion content virtually and so limit the impact on the environment. We are also talking to a number of brands about using Drest to test products digitally so they can optimise supply and demand, scaling orders accordingly, or even prototype new designs. We also believe that our platform will lead to more thoughtful consumerism, allowing people to discover brands, satisfy their desire for newness and to experiment virtually and ‘style before they buy’.
Emily Yim, director of product management, Drest
What gaming features have really connected with the users?
The photoshoot challenges which feature fashion industry leaders, actresses and historic women really connect with our users. Our editorial team create challenges that are in line with real-time events, so the newsfeed is current and topical – something that our audience responds really well to.
What are you working on at the moment?
We are bringing real-life supermodels into the game, so I’m currently testing among a small group how this feature affects and improves the overall user experience. I’m also working to strengthen Drest’s core loop, and I believe that one of the features that will help to do this is through improving the community aspect so that scores are determined by the audience, leading to a more immersive experience.
Is it difficult to balance the gaming element with fashion?
It’s a wonderful challenge to bring the production and workforces together as they are two different worlds. Gaming starts and finishes with the experience itself – everything is virtual, meaning anything can be created. When it comes to fashion we aren’t making this ourselves, we are bringing real-life luxury fashion brands and their products into the game – meaning we need to balance our in-game economy based on current pricing. For instance a Simone Rocha embellished leather clutch retails at Dhs2,445 (USD$665) costing a user 665 Drest fashion dollars in the game.
How do you see the gaming element evolving across the fashion industry?
I think it’s going to evolve hugely over the next two decades. The younger generations have grown up with smartphones, enjoying exposure to gaming and constant access to tech and digital platforms. Fashion, like many established industries, needs to iterate and go beyond.
Working in a screen-demanding role, how do you choose to switch off and disconnect?
I try to set boundaries during my ‘off hours’ by turning my Slack and email notifications off (unless I have something urgent to deal with). During my downtime I love to cook Korean French fusion cuisine and hike – I find nature really helps me to disconnect.
Do you think there are enough women in the gaming industry?
As a whole, the gaming industry is still predominantly made up of men, from tech and engineering teams right the way through to board level. A lot of games are optimised and geared towards men – but with the shift we’re seeing (where more mobile gamers are now female) I hope more young women will consider gaming as an industry for them – particularly as more companies are focusing on games for women.