Founder and CEO Bianca Rangecroft therefore set to work on creating an app that focuses as much on repurposing as it does consumption. A digital wardrobe, Rangecroft’s app has already seen coverage in Forbes, Vogue, and The Telegraph, and has reached over 2 million downloads. Yet, such a feat didn’t happen overnight, and Whering has had to work hard to be the known name it is today.

WHERE DID IT BEGIN FOR WHERING?

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Rangecroft emigrated to London to pursue her studies: a Bachelor’s degree in History and Politics from SOAS & LSE and an MSc from Imperial College. Following which, she began a career in banking, working at Barclays and then at Goldman Sachs in its consumer division in London. Although banking and fashion may not seem obvious bedfellows, it is here where Rangecroft was introduced to an area where they converge. “I worked closely with some of the biggest Family Offices in Europe and covered two big fashion tech IPOs while at Goldman Sachs,” says Rangecroft. “During which time I did a lot of due diligence on the sector, looking into the possibilities of technology to personalise our shopping and styling experiences.”

At Goldman Sachs, when working on the Stichfix IPO, Rangecroft delved deep into consumer buying patterns, how machine learning could be used to optimise the shopping journey and understanding the environmental cost of fashion. “This kickstarted in me a whole introspective journey into my own contribution to the latter and how we could leverage the data found in our own closets to make the supply chain greener,” says Rangecroft. “I thought the timing was perfect to bring to life Cher Horrowitz’s Clueless wardrobe app we had all been dreaming about for years.” Thus, in June of 2022, Whering was founded, out of a profound desire to democratise the personal styling landscape and change the way consumers interact.

WHAT ARE YOU, WHERING?

“Wering is the Clueless-inspired wardrobe app that allows you to upload your wardrobe to then see and style what you own,” says Rangecroft. “Our mission is to upend the ‘buy, use, dispose’ cycle by helping women around the world increase the utilisation of their closets.”

Clothing apps like Depop or Vinted are already widely popular and focusing on second-hand, which means they are already a sustainable endeavour. So what reason did Rangecroft see for making a startup like Whering? “We focus on keeping fashion circular,” explains Rangecroft. “Whilst second-hand clothing is a great alternative to fast fashion, the damage of overconsuming doesn’t go away when people shop second-hand.”

Therefore, the digital wardobe that is Whering helps users take stock of the clothes they own. This is because, in a consumer culture, many people may own several clothes they still like but have forgot about them as they’re tucked away in the back of their wardrobe. Users upload photos of their garments to the app and save them in a digital wardrobe. Here they can see what they have and go about mixing and matching them with their other uploaded articles of clothing to create new outfits. This user interaction helps to feed into the database of the app, further streamlining the process. “Our database is made up of items users have digitised on Whering,” says Rangecroft. “The Whering database is the first stepping stone towards our goal of creating one shared wardrobe for the world.” If, however, no inspiration has hit you from your digital wardrobe, the app has a feature that utilises machine learning to create one for you.

Although the app is free to use, the company uses its captive audience of consumer-conscious individuals to help them shop sustainably through its carefully curated marketplace. “We’re building a one-stop shop for all your fashion needs – where you can keep a mood board, wishlist, plan looks in your calendar but also fill wardrobe gaps with curated pre-loved, vintage, rental and slow fashion brands,” explains Rangecroft. The data they collect from wardrobe composition also allows retailers to get insights they've never seen before, building a better idea of the market and in turn, decreasing returns – another polluting aspect.

WHERE DOES WHERING GO FROM HERE?

Having grown to a team of 12 now, been listed in countless publications, and even featured as App of the Day on the app store, Whering has accomplished a lot in its two-year tenure. But it doesn’t end here.

“True innovation comes from constant product iteration in line with unexpected user behaviours and discoveries,” says Rangecroft. The next big thing on their agenda is to take the app social. This would allow its users to open up their closets to their friends, strategise on what the ‘collective’ will be wearing on their next outing, share outfits when they travel, and swap things they no longer want. These lofty ambitions have Rangecroft aiming to make a “goal of creating one shared wardrobe for the world.”

As the role of technology in fashiontech continues, expedited with the likes of AI, and with styling and wardrobe management becoming core fashion needs for consumers, it might not be long until we’re all ‘Whering’ an outfit curated on Rangecroft's revolutionary app.

This article originally appeared in the Sept/Oct issue of Startups Magazine. Click here to subscribe.