WNTD launches fashion app with GBP £3 million backing

WNTD has launched an app for fashion and beauty shopping, entering the market with £3 million in backing.

The platform brings together virtual try-on, AI styling and social feedback in a single interface for consumers who discover products across social media, retail sites and physical shops. Users can save inspiration from online sources, in-store visits or everyday life, then use the app to test looks and get opinions before making a purchase.

The launch comes as shopping habits continue to shift away from direct visits to retailer websites. WNTD is positioning itself not as a retailer, but as a layer between discovery and purchase, focused on helping users decide what to buy rather than selling stock itself.

Its tools include virtual outfit and beauty try-ons, AI-generated styling suggestions, price comparison, voice search and a Safari browser extension. The extension lets users save items while browsing and compare products without leaving the page.

The app is aimed at younger shoppers, particularly Gen Z, who increasingly discover fashion through social platforms. WNTD argues that shopping behaviour is fragmented, with users moving between screenshots, saved posts, group chats and retailer apps before deciding whether to buy.

Founding team

WNTD was founded by Lex Deak and developed with Lee Lythe, who also worked with Deak on Basket, a consumer app that reached more than 300,000 users in the UK, according to the company. Basket focused on organising purchases, tracking prices and helping users find deals. WNTD builds on that background with a broader focus on discovery and decision-making in fashion and beauty.

Deak has worked across consumer technology and fintech and has also been involved in early-stage investment. WNTD reflects his view that shopping journeys no longer follow the structured path assumed by many retailers.

“Retail is still built for linear shopping journeys but Gen Z doesn’t shop that way,” said Lex Deak, Founder of WNTD. “People discover inspiration everywhere – on social media, in magazines, on the street-and they ask friends before they buy. WNTD brings that behaviour into one place so people can explore their style and make better decisions.”

Lythe said the product was designed to reflect changing consumer behaviour in fashion discovery.

“Technology is changing how people discover fashion,” said Lee Lythe, chief marketing officer at WNTD. “WNTD gives people a way to experiment with their style, see how something looks on them, and get feedback before they decide to buy.”

Decision layer

WNTD describes the app as a decision engine spanning the fashion ecosystem. In practice, that means users can collect images and product ideas from different places, build looks around them, and compare options before completing a purchase on a retailer’s site.

That approach reflects a broader shift in online shopping, where discovery often begins on platforms that do not complete the sale. Consumers may first encounter a product through short-form video, creator content or group chat recommendations, then search elsewhere for alternatives, prices and reviews. WNTD is trying to keep more of that process within one app.

Social validation is central to that model. The app lets users send looks to friends or a wider community for feedback, adding another step between inspiration and transaction. In fashion and beauty, where fit, appearance and confidence can shape buying decisions, that feedback loop is likely to be one of the platform’s main points of differentiation.

Virtual try-on tools have become more common across fashion, eyewear and cosmetics, while generative AI has opened new ways for users to visualise products and styles. WNTD is aiming to combine those functions with browsing, price awareness and social input in one consumer product.

According to the company, more than 70% of Gen Z discovers products through social channels rather than retail websites. That trend has pushed brands and shopping platforms to rethink how products are found and evaluated, particularly in categories such as fashion and beauty, where visual presentation and peer response play a significant role.

WNTD is available on iOS as a standalone consumer app backed by £3 million in investment.