AI is already changing the way people move through life: They have AI agents to assist with workflows, chatbots to hear out their life problems, and algorithms to curate their daily schedules. Now, advanced tech is taking on closets to help people choose their outfits for the day—and even professional fashion stylists are all-in on the business.
AI fashion stylist Alta first hit the scene in 2023 and has since attracted big-name investors. In June of this year, the business announced it had secured $11 million in a seed funding round led by Menlo Ventures and Aglaé Ventures. LVMH—representing 75 prestigious brands including Fendi, Givenchy, and Christian Dior—also invested in the brand, Alta’s founder, Jenny Wang, said at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit on Wednesday.
With its innovative styling solutions, Alta managed to get luxury product sourcer Gab Waller and stylist Meredith Koop on board, too. Koop, who dresses celebrity powerhouses like Michelle Obama, joined Wang onstage to discuss how she uses Alta and why she chose to invest in it over similar products on the market.
“Well, to me, there aren’t any other options, because [Jenny Wang] is brilliant,” Koop said onstage. “That’s really the primary reason that I’m involved, because when I met Jenny and knowing her work, her background, her skill, her genius, her intelligence, to me, I just see her as the reason. She’s created this amazing platform with the help of her team. And to me, that was a no-brainer.”
How Koop would have used Alta in styling clients like Obama
Koop is best known for dressing Michelle Obama. Starting in 2009, the fashion stylist worked with Obama as a wardrobe advisor to create some of the then first lady’s most viral looks: from an ivory strapless Brandon Maxwell dress to bold, patterned Kenzo.
And if Koop could turn back the clock and advise her celebrity clients all over again, she “definitely would have used [Alta], had I had it in the past,” she said.
There are a few ways she plans to leverage the technology today. One of her favorite use cases is the avatar function; people can visualize any outfit directly on their “Alta ego,” a flip-book of preset outfits reminiscent of the famous Clueless technology—which Wang said inspired the business. Instead of picturing a style in her head or printing a 2D version for clients, Koop and other Alta users can look through lifelike representations of wardrobe pieces.
“I think one of the coolest things is the avatars, because it really gives you that visualization,” Koop explained. “I make look-books for many clients—not just Michelle—but it helps you really visualize the outfit versus just seeing a flat image of clothing.”
Koop also loves Alta because she’s able to keep track of her wish lists, as well as what she and her clients have in their closets. Users can upload their clothing and accessories to digitize their wardrobes, plan what OOTD they’ll pull off next, and keep track of styles they’ve already worn. By tracking weather data, the app delivers options that are suitable for the wind, rain, or sun—and if Alta users are planning a getaway, the AI tool checks luggage size and trip itineraries to make sure a traveler packs the appropriate wardrobe.
