Daniela Cecilio is the founding member of the successful fashion portal Farfetch.com and she’s just recently launched ASAP54 – a fashion app that’s set to change the way you discover and buy fashion online! It’s the first ever app that lets users discover products through a social fashion community, and, most exciting of all, lets you find fashion based on pictures that you snap. Can’t find a handbag like one you’ve just spotted? ASAP54 can help. Seriously inspired by a piece of art? The app will help you to find fashion pieces that have similarities to the work, letting you wear your visual influences.
We chatted to Daniela about the app, her thoughts on online shopping in South Africa and her future career goals.
GLAMOUR: What inspired you to think beyond the obvious of on-line shopping?
Daniela: The idea was born out of my frustration when searching to buy products online. I’m a very visual person and find it hard to describe what I see in words, so googling emotions was a terrible exercise. I thought, there has to be an easier and quicker way.
GLAMOUR: From what you’ve learned about South Africans as consumers, does it seem that we’re ready for ASAP54, and are we becoming more comfortably with online shopping in its conventional sense?
Daniela: The whole world is becoming more and more comfortable with shopping online, and since our app is so visual, and very easy to use, I believe that SA is ready to use and make the most of ASAP54. Our app will help to connect everyone in SA with all the fashion items that are available to be shopped in the rest of the world. It isn’t yet in the top 10 countries in the world that.
GLAMOUR: How do you think that ASAP54 is going to be used differently in emerging markets like SA?
Daniela: I believe it will be used to make fashion available. We can see a big traction in markets like Brazil, and we believe that for SA will be the same, will allow people to discover fashion that isn’t available in their country. Will make everything accessible from everywhere in the world.
GLAMOUR: Have you encountered any problems with your user education relating to the app?
Daniela: I think the problem is on the user expectation and input. They put very little input in taking pictures of the items they want to search and also expect that technology will find the same item, even the lighting is bad, etc. I would also say that the formula to solve the problem was a very hard one to come up with, as technology alone can’t work 100%, we had to come up with creative ways to involve some human element in a form of personal shoppers and community, to refine the technology when it fails.
GLAMOUR: It’s exciting to hear success stories of women in tech. Could you tell us a little about your career journey?
Daniela: I have started my career as a Marketeer, working in a Construction company in Brazil, and while I was surrounded by engineers, concrete and very rational plans, my taste for fashion was becoming more and more my scape into a creative world…until it took over me completely and even the people around me was suggesting for me to leave and start designing, and then I did. I launched my own label with one of my best friends, Fernanda, and after 2 years of running it, I decided to move to London to study and here I am. I have been very lucky, as I get to work in a very global business and can keep connection to Brazil, and also get to combine my biggest passions, fashion and technology!
GLAMOUR: What advice do you have for young women hoping to enter the industry?
Daniela: My biggest piece of advice would be to be strong and leave the fear behind. The only reason that this, or many other Industry are dominated by men is because they are brave, they leave their fears behind and focus on execution. This is exactly what I am trying to do everyday.
GLAMOUR: What are your plans for the next few years – will you be focusing on increasing the reach of ASAP54, or are there some other projects in the works?
Daniela: We want to localize the app to some specific countries such as China, Japan, Russia by adding local players. We are also thinking of launching new devices, such as an iPad app and Android
