Researchers take fashion world by storm

HAVE you ever seen somebody wearing a stunning dress, a fabulous handbag or an amazing pair of shoes but lacked the courage to ask outright where they got them?

Or do you wonder when you browse through fashion mags if you can get something similar to Victoria Beckham’s new heels or Kim Kardashian’s latest outfit?

Well, there’s now an app for that thanks to three researchers from DCU who just might be able to answer the above questions, and help complete your fashion wish-list.

Dr Mark Hughes from Artane, Bobby Pringle from Griffith Avenue and Oisin Mac Fearai from Crumlin have already had their free Style-Eyes app featured in Vogue, Elle, Cosmo and Grazia and their work is gaining worldwide attention.

And experts believe their clever creation could change the way women search for and shop for fashion.

The idea is simple. Just open the app and choose to take a snap or use a previously taken photo. The user then drags their finger along the outline of the desired item, and the app searches for matches in over 550 leading retailers to find similar products at various prices.

Demand for the app surprised the three researchers at the Dublin university with thousands of requests for downloads from the Apple and Google Play stores straining their servers.

Funded by Enterprise Ireland and developed by CLARITY (the Centre for Sensor Web Technologies), the app was created on the back of decade long research in the field of image recognition by Dr Mark Hughes, who’s a global expert in the field.

“The technology has gathered so much pace and we have cracked a problem which previously has not been achieved before,

? he said.

“Recognising clothing is difficult to do, but we have found a clever solution, a solution which is quickly garnering attention from international investors.

?

The ability to visually search for items across hundreds of retailers using just a photo has resulted in tens of thousands of fashionistas downloading the app.

“Our servers are spiking with an incredible amount of requests and it shows no sign of slowing down, in fact it’s begun to snowball and new servers are being kicked off to accommodate the additional amount of queries that keep multiplying,

? Mac Fearai added.

The third member of the team, Bobby Pringle, who has been working with retailers, expects growth to exceed the team’s annual target this year.

“We have had some great brands come on board including Ollie & Nic, UGG and Phase Eight who joined our platform with more established brands such as ASOS, Coast, Topshop and River Island,

? he said.

“We’ve also got River Island, Miss Selfridges Jimmy Choo and Prada.

?

Style-Eyes has even gained the attention and praise of some famous faces not normally renowned for their fashion prowess, such as An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny.

“Ireland has earned a reputation as a technology hub and a breeding ground for new ideas,

? the Taoiseach said.

“Style-Eyes is part of a new breed of pioneering Irish technology companies.

“It is great to see a young Irish company develop their clever concept into a product with significant potential in the retail world. I wish them continued success as they broaden their horizons to the US market next summer.

?

The Style-Eyes team is eager to keep growing and the lads are now bringing in investors in a bid to tackle the US market in June. Style-Eyes is available to download for free on the iOS and Android stores.