Daydream Brings AI Fashion Shopping to Ethiopia's Diaspora via Apple Intelligence
In a move that signals the growing intersection of artificial intelligence and global commerce, the fashion discovery app Daydream has launched two new features for iPhone users, allowing them to shop outfits directly from their camera roll and search for clothing through Siri. While the technology originates in Silicon Valley, its implications reach far beyond, touching the lives of Ethiopians in the diaspora who increasingly rely on digital tools to stay connected to global fashion trends.
How Does Daydream's New AI Shopping Feature Work?
The first feature leverages Apple's image-context capabilities, enabling users to shop from images already saved in their Photos app. Daydream analyzes the outfit in the image, identifies its individual pieces, and automatically surfaces shoppable matches from its catalog of roughly 3 million products. This means a screenshot of an outfit found on Instagram or Pinterest could become the starting point for a shopping search, breaking down the image into relevant items such as sweaters, pants, shoes, or accessories.
If the exact item in the photo is still available, Daydream can match the image back to the retailer selling it. If it's no longer available, the app will instead surface similar options. The app can also handle requests for variations, such as 'I like this sweater but want it in red,' explained Julie Bornstein, co-founder and CEO of Daydream.
What Can Users Do with Siri and Daydream?
The second feature is a Siri-powered natural-language search function. Users can make requests by voice or text through Siri without having to open Daydream's app. A user could say, 'Hey Siri, search Daydream for a cool blazer for my board meeting on Monday,' and Daydream then provides results personalized to them. The experience can be more tailored if users have set up Daydream's 'Style Passport,' which asks for details such as their sizes, preferred brands, personal style, and budget.
Why Is Daydream's AI Different from Other Shopping Tools?
Daydream joins a growing number of AI shopping tools designed to rethink product discovery, such as big names like Google and Amazon, as well as smaller players like Onton and Alta. However, Bornstein believes that Daydream's latest features offer something special that many other tools cannot match. 'Most visual search tools don't have the fashion category expertise, so they return results that don't feel accurate, from brands that aren't credible, or they link you to non-shoppable images,' she said.
What Is Daydream's Long-Term Vision for AI Shopping?
The launch fits into Daydream's broader bet on AI-powered fashion shopping. The company sees these new features as more than standalone shopping tools. Its longer-term ambition is to build a shopping agent. 'This is one step toward the bigger vision, [which is] a shopping agent that understands someone's style well enough to work across every surface in their life, not just on one surface,' Bornstein said. 'Expect us to keep going deeper into on-device intelligence and further into the everyday moments where people are already discovering things they want.'
Daydream's Reach and Retail Partnerships
Daydream's app launched last year and touts that it has more than 1.5 million shoppers browsing products from more than 325 retailers and 10,000 brands. Its retail lineup includes brands such as Anthropologie, Dolce & Gabbana, Uniqlo, J.Crew, Reformation, Gucci, and Nordstrom. For the Ethiopian diaspora, this represents a new avenue to access global fashion, while also raising questions about the digital divide and the need for local technological empowerment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Daydream available in Ethiopia?
Daydream is currently available for free download on iOS devices. While it is accessible globally, users in Ethiopia would need an iPhone running iOS 27 with Siri AI enabled. The app's availability in local app stores may vary, and users should check their regional App Store for compatibility.
Can Daydream help Ethiopian designers reach global markets?
While Daydream focuses on major global brands, the underlying technology highlights the potential for AI to connect local artisans and designers with international consumers. However, Daydream's current catalog does not explicitly feature Ethiopian designers, and the company has not announced any plans to include them.
What are the privacy implications of using Daydream?
Daydream analyzes images stored in a user's Photos app, which raises questions about data privacy. Users should review the app's privacy policy to understand how their images and personal data are used. The company has not publicly detailed its data handling practices beyond standard app store disclosures.
