Sarah Findley’s app aims to revolutionize the online shopping experience
BY BETH MUNRO-MORRIS —- arts@theaggie.org
In the ever-evolving world of fashion, keeping up with trends can be a struggle. Many social media platforms rely on influencers sponsored by high-end designers to showcase styles that, in turn, most can’t afford. Garde-Robe, a new fashion app, promises to bring transparency back to the online landscape and create a culture where a friend’s influence is more valuable than any celebrity’s.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sarah Findley noticed herself feeling uninspired by her shopping experiences during the social disconnection characteristic of the COVID-19 pandemic. The inability to see what her friends were purchasing or wearing highlighted a reliance on their insights for trusted recommendations.
Findley discussed the app’s vision and how Garde-Robe came to be.
“The same way I follow my friends for book recommendations on Goodreads, music on Spotify or workouts on Strava, […] I wanted to be able to follow my friends’ shopping,” Findley said.
In a world flooded with products, reviews and online chatter, it can be difficult for a consumer to know who and what to trust. Findley defined this new stage of consumerism as the ‘‘post-influencer era.”
“We’ve been conditioned to look at following creators and influencers for so long but that’s just pure advertising at this point,” Findley said. “Hauls and overconsumption are totally passé and we can usher in a new era with more transparency about what people are actually buying […] that’s where friends come in.”
In an increasingly digital landscape, people are craving real connections more than ever. Rather than reinforcing the solidarity often associated with online shopping, Findley designed a platform where shopping isn’t just transactional, but a social experience in and of itself. Garde-Robe operates on the idea that interactivity should not be confined to the physical world but should translate into virtual experiences as well.
At the core of the app’s creation is also a desire for better organization. Findley identified the fragmented nature of online shopping as a key reason behind the launch of her fashion company.
“We keep URL links in our notes app, Whatsapp littered with links, camera rolls full of screenshots,” Findley said. “[This] leads to a disjointed experience. [Our] app and website lets you save anything from the web you’re thinking about buying and put them into wishlists, ask your friends for feedback with polls and digitize your closet.”
As Garde-Robe grows, Findley is focused on scaling the app, specifically launching a social commerce platform focused on the West. Unlike other platforms that require consignor work to resell clothes, Garde-Robe is working toward a resale component that allows for a seamless transactional process.
“Social commerce is already very established in Asia and the West is behind,” Findley said. “Buying new and secondhand interchangeably is the future, and I want to build a platform that merges both.”
For Findley, user engagement is at the heart of Garde-Robe’s success. The app has cultivated a community of ambassadors, power users and trusted advisors who help test new developments and promote the platform.
“We have an amazing team, and we’re really iterating and building the platform based on their direct feedback,” Findley said.
Whether curating engaging videos on TikTok, offering style tips on Instagram or building partnerships with external organizations, Findley’s team is dedicated to broadening Garde-Robe’s reach and expanding the brand’s influence.
Looking ahead, Findley envisions a future where Garde-Robe is a mainstream platform, on par with Pinterest and other key players in the fashion ecosystem. With a strategic emphasis on audience expansion, the app’s design prioritizes the needs of the consumer — striving to restore a sense of fun and reliability in the fashion world.
“I want everyone to use Garde-Robe, to save what they’re thinking about buying, ask their friends for feedback, save everything they’ve bought, get product recommendations and, finally, to resell their clothes,” Findley said.
With the app’s current momentum and a clear roadmap for the future, the next few years will be transformative for the fashion media space. To discover more and be a part of this exciting journey, download the app and Chrome extension, follow Garde-Robe’s Instagram account or check out their website to join in on the conversation.
Written by Beth Munro-Morris — arts@theaggie.org
