Image via @aldhaenyara on Instagram
Netflix changed the way we rent movies and series online. Not only can you seamlessly find what you’re looking for, Netflix’ smart algorithms understand the taste of consumers and offer you choices you didn’t know you had. Now, would you believe that someone made an app with similar concepts around fashion?
Meet Yara Aldhaen, the Bahraini entrepreneur behind SEPT, described as a fashion app that utilizes algorithms to offer shoppers style options and shopping preferences tailored to their tastes. Aldhaen is the founder of her company SEPT Corp, with past experiences as a paralegal for Charles Russell Speechlys LLP, a lawyer for Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, and an associate for Haya Rashed Al Khalifa.
The inspiration behind SEPT came when Aldhaen was having difficulty choosing a wedding dress that spoke to her. The app itself, whose name "SEPT" is a Latin nod to the number 7, is a fashion platform tailored to understand Arab consumers. Like Netflix and music streaming apps like Spotify, it offers shoppers personalized fashion feeds on their smartphones that match their unique styles. Currently, SEPT partners with top e-retailers such as Farfetch, Matches Fahion, Moda Operandi, Net-A-Porter, and Ssense.
So, how does SEPT work? In a nutshell, the app prompts the user to select up to three brands of choice upon first time use. It then tailors a personalized fashion feed with recommended products. The user can browse through each product, swiping an item to the left if they don't like it, or to the right if they do like it, a feature that is similar to Tinder.
Aldhaen is a strong believer in sustainability and conscious consumerism. In her own words, she describes her consumers in a recent article by Vogue.me as “Gen-Z Khaleeji women,” the type of women whose lives rotate around smartphones. With that in mind, it’s easy to see how she discovered her target audience. In fact, she has stressed on the importance of focusing on ecommerce in order to survive current markets. The app is now available on the App Store for iOS users, and Google Play Store for Android users.
