This Visual-Recognition App Lets You Shop the Streets

Fashion

Fashion, gadgets and more

It's a frustration every fashionista knows all too well: You see a photo of a celebrity wearing an amazing jacket or glimpse another commuter rocking must-have shoes, but it's next to impossible to find your holy grail online without critical information like the name of the designer or retailer. A Google search for the phrase "blue hoodie," for example, yields a mind-boggling 70 million results.

The fundamental problem is that text-based, says Daniela Cecilio. Her free iPhone app posits a more intuitive approach: visual-recognition technology, bolstered by the human touch. The app matches users' photos of apparel and accessories to identical or similar product images stored in the ASAP54 database, and it connects shoppers to a global network of fellow fashion mavens and a team of in-house stylists trained to help them source that perfect black cocktail dress.