Bringing “Clueless” Fashion Tech to Life: How Jenny Wang’s Alta is Changing Online Shopping
Jenny Wang, the founder behind the fashion tech startup Alta, is turning what was once movie magic into a real-world digital experience. Inspired by the iconic styling technology in Clueless, Alta allows users to plan outfits, create digital closets, and try on clothes using personalized virtual avatars.
$11 Million Backing from Big Names in Fashion and Tech
Last year, Alta raised $11 million in a funding round led by Menlo Ventures to accelerate its AI-powered styling tools. The round drew attention from notable figures including models Jasmine Tookes and Karlie Kloss, Anthropic’s VC arm Anthology Fund, and Rent the Runway cofounder Jenny Fleiss.
TechCrunch reported that Wang shared updates on Alta during New York Fashion Week, highlighting how the company has grown since its funding round.
A Platform That’s Already Making an Impact
Alta’s app is now officially available on the App Store. Publications like Time and Vogue recognized it as one of the most innovative products of the year. Since its 2023 launch, users have generated over 100 million outfits on the platform.
The company has also partnered with platforms and organizations including Poshmark and the Council of Fashion Designers of America, with further collaborations expected soon.
“Alta’s own app also features thousands of brands that users can shop from,” Wang said.
Integrating Digital Styling Into Brand Experiences
Alta is now focusing on helping brands embed avatar and styling technology directly into their websites. This allows customers to virtually try on clothing using their personalized Alta avatars. This week, Alta revealed its first such integration, teaming up with Public School, the celebrated New York City fashion brand.
“Shoppers can style looks from the new collection on their own Alta avatar,” Wang explained.
The collaboration came through mutual connections: Wang met Public School designers Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne via the founder of Poshmark, who also invests in both companies.
“Public School designers Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne had been looking for an AI partner and virtual try-on avatar solution, and Dao-Yi has been an Alta app user himself,” Wang said.
Public School’s Re-Debut and Embracing Technology
After a temporary hiatus, Public School returned at NYFW with a fresh vision. The founders emphasized the importance of technology in modern fashion.
“We have to look at tech as a partner in the business today. It’s not 2015 anymore,” Chow told TechCrunch. “We want to be thoughtful on how we use tech and AI—not as a design tool but as a tool to extend our storytelling and a tool to interact with the consumer and have them experience the brand even if they can’t do so in person.”
Alta’s integration lets shoppers access the “Style by Alta” feature directly on Public School’s website. Customers can create avatars and see how clothing would look before purchasing.
“Right now, a user would have to add a potential purchase into their Alta wishlist, then style outfits and try on their avatar, versus being able to do that directly on the brand website,” Wang said. “The goal is to bring their community on a new journey to engage with and shop the brand.”
Users can also access Public School collections directly from Alta’s app, highlighting the company’s broader goal: making avatar-based styling available across multiple brands and websites.
How Alta Stands Out in Virtual Fashion
Many major fashion labels, including Zara and Balmain, have experimented with digital avatars. Alta differentiates itself with faster and more versatile avatar capabilities: users can try on eight items in seconds, while comparable avatars, like Zara’s, handle only four items and take about two minutes.
“The consumer Alta app is the ‘Clueless’ closet, while the enterprise Alta experience allows shoppers to style pieces and try the outfits on their pre-existing Alta avatar,” Wang said.
Alta positions itself as both a “Clueless” inspired fashion app and a broader digital avatar business. Wang envisions Alta as the “personal identity layer for the future of consumer AI and shopping,” offering data-driven insights that reflect users’ style preferences, past purchases, and body likeness.
“For agentic commerce to truly work, we need a data layer that understands the shopper’s style preferences, such as their closet, past purchases, and their avatar, likeness, and body, which is Alta.”
Looking Ahead
With the Public School collaboration marking a milestone, Alta is set to expand these AI-driven styling experiences to more brands. By bridging the gap between physical and digital fashion, Alta is redefining how consumers interact with clothing online.
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