[ad_1]
About 20 years ago, Vladimir Radojevich entered the world of fashion. His first job was as a sales assistant in a multi-brand store in Serbia, where he grew up. Much of his work will be done after he made the decision to join Al Boom Marine, a sports lifestyle company based in Dubai.
“I know Dubai used to be one of the retail capitals of the world. There were many more opportunities to grow. In a conversation with Vladimir I felt the right next step. Gulf Edition of your story.
In the year Around 2019, he decided to pursue an MBA with the aim of climbing the corporate ladder and earning a stable income. During his time at IESE Barcelona, he traveled extensively, visiting various places such as New York, Shanghai and Ghana. One of the things that struck me most during the New York trip was Stitch Fix. At this time, Vladimir was the head of sales at Al Boom Marine.
“This wasn’t traditional retail or e-commerce, it was about the future,” Vladimir said. The company used artificial intelligence to customize clothes for consumers, which was different from the modern e-commerce shopping trend. “They give more to the customer than traditional e-commerce where they just go and click and buy,” he added.
Soon he began to delve deeper into the idea. Vladimir began a conversation with industry experts in Argentina and set out to create a business plan, gradually combining answers to questions about capital, market numbers – all while knowing the essentials of building a business. Then came the plague.
“I was two weeks away from resigning. Thanks, I didn’t,” says Vladimir. “It wasn’t the right time for me, so I put everything on hold. But things started to improve and the situation in the United Arab Emirates was quickly under control. That’s when I decided to go for it. I prepared Late 2020 and early 2021.
Now, he runs Vladimir Dressos, a fashion technology platform that allows customers to design wearables with their own tastes and preferences, together with his long-time friend Aleksandar Jankovic.
Dresses have fallen into the wider fashion market. According to McKinsey’s report, fashion sales in the GCC market are over $50 billion. He said that in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the cost per capita is more than 500 USD and 1600 USD per capita globally.
Currently, Dressos has around 4000 registered users and 500 active customers.
A group of dresses
Building on existing
Like Stitch Fix, and startups like MrDraper and Wear That, the user on Dresses is asked to fill out a questionnaire that informs the company of their preferences.
Shortly after this is done, a statistician will contact the user for a quick consultation and provide a box. Style and shipping is free. Dresos says an average basket size costs about $408 (AED 1500).
“We focus on both genders, and unlike others, on style and comfort. Also, the option to try before buying was attractive. The customer has no risk. Persistence” says Vladimir.
Now the team has set its sights on launching a new functionality where customers can get personalized clothes instantly. This is done by artificial intelligence. Dressos launched its beta version at Gitex 2022. Even with the AI angle, it doesn’t seem like it will completely phase out stylist services.
“It’s where we see the scale where we think a stylistic and personal approach is important. But not always,” says Vladimir.
Then comes inventory. One of the most pressing concerns in the fashion environment is managing inventory. Dresos quickly realized that managing inventory would be a demanding task. Instead, he chose to move to a consignment structure where he could access multiple brands without holding stock.
Vladimir’s experience came to bring the model of cargo transportation. Retailers were impressed with the styling ideas and the team’s experience. They were convinced even after eyeing Dresos’ packaging, message and high experience. Today, he works with brands such as Levi’s, Oakley, Cole Haan, Galeries Lafayette, New Age, Tommy Bahama and Skechers, and is quickly moving away from working with fashion brands.
New products on the horizon
In addition to artificial intelligence (AI), Dressos also has a product that works as a 3D body scanner—where people can scan themselves and get a high-quality avatar through 3D clothing. “We got a lot of comments that people want to see how it looks, and the machine can get high precision measurements,” said Vladimir.
Dressos’ 7-member technology team in Poland and Ukraine is building a software solution for online retailers that people can browse from their homes.
It is specifically looking to bring 3D body scanners to malls where customers can see their avatars in a unique collection. Dressos is part of In5 – a platform used by startups to accelerate their ideas to market. Launch the 3D scanners here.
Dressos is in talks to close a pre-seed funding round.
Meanwhile, it doesn’t shy away from the possibility of using the Metaverse either. “The GCC is really a favorable environment for NFTs. Many luxury consumers expect to store their brands on the Metaverse, and the range is that all these customers also have cryptocurrencies,” says Vladimir.
“We also see the Metaverse as a huge opportunity…we want to be a part of it,” he added.
(This article has been updated to correct a typo)