ASAP 54 App Review; The Shazam of Shopping!

There’s been talk of apps that can capture an item of clothing and send you that exact piece to buy for a while now, but this week I had fun playing with ASAP 54 – a London based start-up with an app pitched at being the Shazam of shopping.

The app works by asking the user to either upload an image of an item of clothing, or capture one in the moment on their phone. After cropping the image closely to give the app a better chance of identifying the item, the app asks the user to confirm what type of item it is (coat, bag, shoe, etc) The user clicks ‘search’ and the app generates items that are similar, if not the exact match. Free to download, ASAP 54 is an app aimed at combining a social fashion community with the latest visual recognition technology to connect the user instantly with the must-have item they are searching for.

I tested the app by using a new grey winter coat I had recently purchased from Topshop. The first results threw up lots of parka coats, with some being similar, but not quite a match (although I did see a parka I quite liked!). So I then used the filter button and typed in the brand ‘Topshop’ which resulted in a much better selection of coats. I found the exact winter coat, just in a different colour and the same type of coat in slightly different styles too. On any of the coats I could click for more details and the item price before clicking ‘shop’ which took me to the brand website to purchase seamlessly, which was very exciting!

The app has a lovely ‘Ask A Stylist’ feature for those who after searching are still struggling to find what they are looking for. Users can easily click the ‘send to stylist’ button and a personal stylist will send recommendations by email all in under 24 hours.

Users are asked to create an ASAP 54 profile upon using the app for the first time which will publish your 'ASAPED' items to followers (users can choose not to publish items if preferred). Users can also therefore follow others (there are lots of exciting fashion muses to follow on there!) and see what the fashion set are ASAPING which is full of inspiration for future fashion buys.

I love the concept of the app, and the story of founder Daniela Cecilio; who created the app following her frustration when words weren’t enough to describe what she was searching for online. Daniela has certainly created an app that is as delightful to look at as it is useful. I’m excited to get out and about snapping fashion pieces to test the app more, and tracking ASAP 54’s progress over the next 12 months as it gets more accurate and without a doubt very popular!

To find out more visit www.asap54.com and find the app on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Score: 8/10

I love...

• The app's concept, user-friendly interface and beautiful, simple design
• The personal stylist feature

I'd like...

• For it to be more accurate on first time search results which I can only imagine is being   worked on constantly – exciting!