Veteran retailer Sir Stuart Rose is to join fashion recommendations site Dressipi as its chairman.
Sir Stuart, who previously chaired M&S , is to take a part-time advisory role at the company as it looks to boost uptake of its service among high street and online retailers.
The Dressipi service works out a Fashion Fingerprint for each woman who uses it, and then recommends clothes that would suit both her taste and her shape. It promises to boost conversion rates and basket values for online and multichannel retailers.
Users can also ask style questions and browse editorial content put toether by a team of stylists and fashion journalists, including former Daily Mail fashion editor Natalie Theo.
Boden and BrandAlley have already signed up to the service, co-founded by Sarah McVittie and Donna Kelly, and more retailers are set to be unveiled in early 2013.
“I’m delighted to be able to advise Dressipi at such an exciting time for the business and a pivotal time for the fashion world,” said Rose. “Retailers have been crying out for years for a solution that can help them merchandise and sell clothes more effectively online. Getting a woman to buy an outfit on the internet is about much more than showing them it’s available in their size. Before they click ‘buy’ they want to feel confident it will suit them and complement garments they already own.
“Giving online shoppers the confidence to make a purchase is the problem I think Dressipi have nailed with their recommendation service. I’m very much looking forward to working with Donna, Sarah and the rest of the team to help them bring the benefits of Dressipi to more retailers in 2013.”
McVittie and Kelly said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Sir Stuart on-board as our Chairman. He’ll be advising a management team that has been handpicked to combine the best of fashion expertise with formidable technical skills. We expect his insight into retailing at the highest level to be instrumental in helping us drive Dressipi forward next year.”
The announcement came as Dressippi published its first Fashion Brands Index. Zara came top in the index, voted as favourite brand by 33% of the 40,000 women who took part, and was followed by H&M (26%), Topshop (21%), River Island (20%), Next (19%) and M&S, Mango and New Look (17%). Online-only retailer Asos won 16% of votes.
