Seven Israeli Teen Girls Develop AI Stylist to Solve Online Shopping Woes

Seven Israeli high school students have developed an "AI stylist" called Flair to help users choose outfits, tackling the frustration of online clothes shopping. The digital stylist, created by Talia Ohana, Michal Yagudayev, Noa Kurtzka, Gaia Ashad, Noy Abramov, Hili Detchi, and Maayan Wadge, uses basic user information like body and shoe size, skin, hair, and eye color to suggest outfits. Users can also input the type of event they are dressing for, and Flair considers the season and relevant holidays.

The system works by first categorizing a database of clothing items by features such as type, color, size, style, and season. The algorithm, built with Python and JavaScript, filters items based on user input and then attempts to assemble a complete look. A key challenge was teaching the algorithm which items pair well together, moving beyond basic compatibility to incorporate subjective elements like style, color matching, and trends, which the students researched and translated into rules.

While described as AI-driven, the current version of Flair functions as a rule-based matching algorithm. The developers explained that their initial goal was to create logically coherent outfits, with subsequent iterations aiming for better stylistic matches. The system allows users to generate multiple outfit options if they are not satisfied with the first suggestion. A demo website showcases the user experience, presenting a visual recommendation after the user completes the questionnaire.

Flair was developed as part of a collaboration between Factori 54, a fashion retailer, and the "Magshimim" non-profit organization, supported by the Rashi Foundation. This initiative tasked participants in "Mamri'ot" and "Magshimim Cyber & AI" programs with solving business challenges in retail. Other groups worked on demand forecasting, social e-commerce platforms, gamified shopping experiences, and trend prediction models. The Flair team participated through "Mamri'ot," a tech program for girls that teaches programming languages, cyber principles, teamwork, and creative thinking.

For some of the students, the program has influenced their future career paths. One developer mentioned that the training helped her secure a desired role during her national service, enhancing her confidence and ability to handle complex tasks. Initially strangers, the team bonded through the project, with the moment of seeing their code produce a result on screen marking a significant milestone. While Flair is still a demo and doesn't claim to solve all fashion dilemmas, it represents the students' success in transforming a daily problem into a functional technological solution.