A Startup That Pairs Stylists With People Who Are Too Busy To Shop Has Raised $6 Million
She spent five years in the luxury goods and e-commerce space and understood how much women valued convenience in their shopping experience.
But Han and friend Eleanor Mak, both graduates of the Harvard Business School, decided there was an opportunity to make personal styling more convenient for the working woman.
In January 2013, Han and Mak founded Keaton Row, an online platform that pairs women who are too busy to shop with stylists who can pick out clothes for them.
The styling services are free, and you can shop from retailers like Nordstrom and Shopbop with just the click of a button.
"Personal styling without tech is still very high end," Han said to Business Insider. "But the tech we've built in Keaton Row allows anyone to work with a stylist."
Plus, Keaton Row has become something of a marketplace for both aspiring stylists and those who like to pick out clothes for friends and family for fun. There are currently about 2,000 stylists on Keaton Row.
"There's not necessarily a quality of what makes a good stylist," Han said. "We encourage anyone who loves fashion to try it."
Last week Keaton Row announced a Series A funding round led by Time Inc. Returning investors Menlo Ventures, Rho Capital, and Grape Arbor also contributed to the round, which sources say was valued at $6 million.
Han says a mobile app is the clear next step for the business.
"We are committed to creating a service that builds upon the relationship our clients have with their stylists and to leveraging technology to create a seamless experience that gets better over time," she said in a press release announcing the investment.