DRESSX is the world’s largest digital fashion retailer and technology platform, powering AR (augmented reality) try-on, virtual garments, and NFTs for Gen Z, digital natives, and brands. Founded in 2020 by Daria Shapovalova and Natalia Modenova in Los Angeles, with key team member Julie Krasnienko joining as Head of Product, the mission is clear: to move fashion into digital worlds, reduce physical waste, and offer authentic self-expression for every avatar, photo, and virtual experience.
“We open a new dimension, where both worlds of physical and digital fashion will co-exist,” said Daria Shapovalova, Co-founder.
How Does It Work?
DRESSX offers a comprehensive platform for collecting, styling, trading, and wearing digital garments:
- MetaCloset & AR Try-On: The MetaCloset app lets users collect wearable NFTs, try on digital looks instantly via AR, and share content on social and gaming platforms—without needing avatars or VR headsets.
- AI-Powered Shopping: In 2025, DRESSX launched DRESSX Agent—an AI styling and shopping platform dubbed ChatGPT for Fashion. It uses advanced body mapping, image recognition, and generative AI for hyper-personalized, fun virtual try-on, solving issues like returns and poor discovery.
- NFT Marketplace: The NFT marketplace lets users and brands mint, buy, sell, and rent unique digital garments usable in AR, gaming, and Metaverse platforms.
- Interoperability: DRESSX digital fashion is wearable on avatars across Meta, Roblox, Snapchat, and more—allowing seamless integration into everyday virtual life.
Origin Story & Founders
After running Mercedes-Benz Kyiv Fashion Days and consulting for global brands, Daria Shapovalova and Natalia Modenova moved to Los Angeles and saw the opportunity to address fashion’s sustainability crisis through digital clothing. Julie Krasnienko, with prior experience at Looksery, helped build the platform’s advanced AR image processing.
Since launch, DRESSX has grown to host designers and thousands of digital items, collaborating with brands like Balenciaga, Dior, Roblox, Off-White, Jason Wu, PUMA, FARFETCH, and Meta.
Funding Raised to Date
- Seed round: $2 million (2021), led by Alpha Edison, Artemis Fund, and a mix of tech/blockchain angels.
- Series A (2023): Led by Greenfield, Slow Ventures, Warner Music, Artemis Fund, and others.
- Total funding: Over $17 million in three rounds, as of 2023 .
The funds raised will help scale the vision of the future of digital fashion, ensure interoperability, improve the app and NFT marketplace, and partner with social, gaming, and virtual platforms as the main provider of 3D fashion in the Metaverse.
Benefits for Consumers
- Instant Wearability: Try digital garments instantly on your photo or video using AR and AI—no physical delivery, no returns needed.
- Personalization: Advanced styling algorithms find unique looks for every user and avatar.
- Eco-Friendly: Zero-waste fashion, dramatically reduced carbon footprint, and meaningful utility for social and gaming content.
- Ownership & Community: NFTs provide verified ownership of digital fashion assets, with trading, renting, and collecting for the ultimate meta closet.
Applications for Sellers
- Brand Extension: Brands produce digital twins of clothing, monetize IP via NFTs, virtual try-on, and AR social sharing—Reaching new digital audiences via partnerships with DRESSX.
- Revenue Diversification: NFTs, phygital releases, Metaverse collaborations, and AR garment sales create new revenue streams beyond physical retail.
- Analytics & Engagement: Data-rich platform tracks trends, user sentiment, and global reach.
- Interoperability: Fashion collections instantly appear on multiple virtual platforms, maximizing reach.
Brands that embrace virtual wearables now will gain an early-mover advantage in an expanding market.
Future Outlook
- Expansion of AR, AI, and NFT capabilities with DRESSX Agent and MetaCloset.
- New partnerships with social media, gaming, and immersive platforms (Roblox, Meta, Snapchat).
- Massive scale for digital-only and phygital releases, metaverse integration, and eco-friendly virtual fashion.
- Continued investment in tools for creators and brands, aiming to halve new fashion production in the next decade.
