Kate Bosworth is the latest celebrity to delve into the tech market, with the announcement of Style Thief, a new app co-founded by Samantha Russ to help users identify and buy clothing they see on the street or on TV. The concept behind the app is simple: users snap a photo of an outfit or piece they like, and Style Thief searches for the image, browsing through over 300 retailers for shoppable products. The app then produces a list of items that it identified as possible matches. If you see something you like, you can click “shop” to be directed to the retailer’s website. If you star the item, the app will give you a push notification when the price changes.
If you find a piece you like but want to see similar items, click “more like this” and you’ll be able to search for like products in different colors, styles and sizes, with the option of filtering by retailer or designer. If taking photos of unsuspecting strangers isn’t your thing, you can also conduct a text search in order to find what you’re looking for. “Our intention is to be a tool for consumers to find something and ultimately purchase,” Bosworth told WWD.
Naturally, we tried Style Thief for ourselves, putting the app to the test of identifying a pair of J.Crew shorts. Sadly, it couldn’t find our exact pair based off the picture, although it turned up when we searched for the exact product name. However, Style Thief seems to work just fine for Kate Bosworth, who told WWD that she used it to identify a red Valentino dress she’d spied. Bosworth plans to wear it to the app’s launch party tomorrow.
The tech market has already been proven to be quite lucrative for Kim Kardashian, who last month launched her Kim Kardashian: Hollywood app, which according to Bloomberg, is projected to rake in $200 million in revenue this year. Style Thief is still in beta mode, but it sounds like Bosworth has big plans for the future of the app, hinting that they may begin to produce original merchandise. They also are hoping to roll out the app in Europe over the next two months, and add a one-click purchase option, due to go live just in time for the holiday season. Style Thief is currently available for the iPhone, but there are plans to release a version for Android in the next few months.
Have you guys tried the app? Tell us how it worked for you in the comments!
[via WWD]
