Nigerian startup Fitted has created a digital platform that utilizes machine learning to enhance efficiency in the custom tailoring sector. Established in 2021 by Ibi Cookey, Fitted provides tailors and retailers with fashion-specific tools, enabling customers to acquire high-quality outfits promptly. The startup's AI technology automates the generation and storage of customer measurements, significantly reducing measurement time. Its cloud-based platform allows tailors to manage and track orders, accept global payments, connect with suppliers, and directly engage with customers. Fitted aims to equip tailors and fashion brands with the necessary resources for business growth.
The custom clothing industry, despite serving a significant portion of the global population, faces inefficiencies and unreliability. Manual processes prevail as tailors lack the tools to efficiently handle orders and accurately determine customer measurements. Consequently, tailors waste time reconciling orders and making adjustments due to inaccurate measurements. Moreover, tailors and retailers face exclusion from formal financial systems, relying on offline and informal transactions. This lack of visibility hampers business performance evaluation, scalability, and access to bank loans. Customers also experience issues with ill-fitting clothes and delayed deliveries.
Fitted seeks to address these challenges, particularly for underrepresented groups in fashion, such as individuals of African, Asian, or South American descent. The platform aims to aggregate measurements for historically marginalized people while developing standard sizing that accommodates their unique body shapes and styles.
The startup has recently been selected to participate in the Catalyst Jobtech Accelerator by Mercy Corps and BFA Global and has secured funding from various investors. Since its launch, Fitted has experienced strong adoption, collecting over 20,000 measurements from customers and producing thousands of outfits per month.
While currently focused on Nigeria, Fitted plans to expand to other countries in Africa and Asia, facilitating cross-border payment flows between developed and emerging fashion markets in the future.
The company generates revenue by taking a commission on each transaction conducted on its platform. Despite encountering challenges, including the demanding operating environment in Nigeria, Fitted has overcome them through collaboration, resilience, and a steadfast commitment to revolutionizing the African fashion industry through digitization.
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