Kimberly Carney, FashWire Founder and CEO: “Our approach at FashWire has always been about reimagining the connection between consumers and brands. By combining a Tinder-style interface with social media-inspired engagement, we make fashion discovery both interactive and meaningful.”

FashWire grew out of Kimberly Carney’s long stretch in the trenches of independent retail. Seventeen years of running her own boutique gave her a front-row seat to a shift the industry wasn’t ready for. Shoppers were changing fast. Technology was reshaping how people discovered brands. Yet much of fashion was still operating as if nothing had moved. She realized the only way forward was to blend the intuition of fashion with the intelligence of tech, and that insight sparked what would become FashWire. What this really means is that FashWire wasn’t built as another shopping app. It was designed as a connector. On one side, you have designers searching for real feedback and global reach. On the other, consumers hungry for discovery and a more personal, interactive way to engage with style. FashWire sits in the middle, turning that exchange into something useful for everyone.

Consumers get a discovery experience that feels alive. They can browse, swipe, like, and share pieces from emerging and established designers across the world. The platform learns what they’re drawn to and responds with recommendations, including an AI photo feature that analyzes uploaded images to surface styles aligned with their taste. It’s simple, visual, and gives shoppers a voice in the creative process. Designers get something they’ve historically struggled to capture: clear insight into what resonates. Real-time data shows how shoppers react to specific styles, helping brands refine collections, reduce waste, and make decisions with confidence. FashWire also offers global visibility, giving designers access to audiences they might never reach through traditional retail channels.

FashWire is about transformation. It takes the best of fashion’s creative energy and pairs it with technology that helps both sides of the industry move smarter. It’s a modern bridge between designers and consumers, reshaping how fashion is discovered and experienced today.

In conversation with Kimberly Carney, Founder and CEO of FashWire

FashWire blends fashion with technology by offering a Tinder-style interface and social media-inspired features. How does this unique user experience set you apart from other fashion shopping platforms?

Our approach at FashWire has always been about reimagining the connection between consumers and brands. By combining a dating app swipe-style interface with social media-inspired engagement, we make fashion discovery both interactive and meaningful. Instead of endlessly scrolling through static product grids, users can swipe, like, and share styles they love, transforming shopping into an experience that feels intuitive and fun. Every interaction not only personalizes the user’s feed but also gives designers real-time insight into what their audience actually wants.

This two-way exchange of feedback is what truly sets FashWire apart. It is not just a marketplace; it is a platform where consumers become active participants in shaping fashion trends, and brands gain valuable data that informs design and production. The social and gamified elements keep users engaged, while the technology behind it empowers brands to make smarter, more sustainable decisions. In essence, FashWire merges the emotion of fashion with the intelligence of technology, creating a more dynamic, connected, and forward-thinking retail experience.

Your platform emphasizes real-time customer feedback to designers. How does this feedback loop impact brand decision-making and influence fashion trends?

The real-time feedback loop is one of the most powerful aspects of FashWire. It allows designers to move beyond guessing what consumers want and instead make informed decisions based on actual user engagement. When customers swipe, like, or share products, that data is instantly reflected back to the brands, giving them insight into which styles, colors, or price points are resonating most. This helps designers adjust everything from design direction and inventory planning to marketing strategies, all in real time.

What makes this so impactful is that it closes the gap between creation and consumer response. Instead of waiting for post-season sales data, brands can test and refine ideas before production, reducing waste and increasing the likelihood of success. On a broader level, this collective consumer input helps shape emerging fashion trends on the platform. We often see styles gain momentum organically through user engagement, which in turn guides designers to respond quickly and creatively. In that way, FashWire is not just reflecting trends. It is helping to define them through the power of data-driven collaboration between brands and their audiences.

FashWire donates $1 for every app download to charitable organizations. Can you elaborate on how this initiative reflects the company’s values and strengthens its connection with consumers?

Giving back has always been an important part of FashWire’s mission. From the beginning, we wanted to build a company that not only drives innovation in fashion and technology but also creates a positive social impact. Our initiative to donate $1 for every app download to charitable organizations is a reflection of those values. It allows us to use our platform as a force for good while inviting our community to be part of something bigger than just shopping.

This initiative strengthens our connection with consumers because it aligns with what today’s shoppers care about: purpose, transparency, and social responsibility. People want to support brands that stand for more than just profit, and this program gives them an easy, tangible way to contribute simply by engaging with FashWire. Over time, it has helped us build a community that is not only passionate about fashion but also about making a difference. It is a reminder that technology and commerce can work hand in hand to create meaningful change.

Data science seems to be a critical pillar for FashWire. Can you discuss how your data-driven insights help both shoppers and brands, especially in improving margins, conversions, and profitability?

Data science is at the heart of what makes FashWire more than just a shopping platform, it is what transforms it into a dynamic, insight-driven marketplace. Every interaction on the app, whether a swipe, like, or share, generates valuable data that helps us understand consumer preferences in real time. We aggregate and analyze this data to deliver actionable insights that benefit both shoppers and brands.

For shoppers, data science powers personalization. It ensures that the more they engage, the smarter their experience becomes, surfacing products, designers, and trends that truly match their taste. This creates a more satisfying and efficient shopping journey, leading to higher engagement and conversions.

For brands, these insights are transformative. They can see which products resonate most with consumers, allowing them to refine design decisions, plan inventory more accurately, and reduce waste. By understanding what drives engagement and purchase intent, brands can improve pricing strategies, optimize product assortments, and ultimately increase profitability. In a traditional retail environment, these kinds of insights take months to gather, but on FashWire, they are delivered instantly. Our data-driven approach bridges creativity and commerce, helping brands make smarter business decisions while giving consumers a more curated and connected experience.

What does the future hold for your company and its customers? Are exciting things on the way?

The future for our company is incredibly exciting as we continue expanding our vision of connecting industries through technology, data, and community. After launching FashWire, we saw how powerful our model was in driving engagement and insights, so in 2021 we launched GlossWire to bring the same level of innovation to the beauty industry. Most recently, in 2024, we introduced PawWire, extending our platform into the growing pet care market. Now known as The Wires, with each platform its own separate entity under the parent company, each vertical uses our interactive, data-driven approach to connect brands and consumers in meaningful ways that are tailored to their specific industries.

Looking ahead, my newest initiative, WiresConnect, is designed to unify these verticals and foster cross-industry collaboration. Separate from The Wires, my goal for WiresConnect serves as a global hub for discovery, innovation, and partnership, creating a space where brands, creators, and consumers can connect through shared values and experiences.

The Wires future is about continuing to evolve with technology while staying true to our mission of empowering brands with data, giving consumers a voice, and using innovation to build more authentic, sustainable, and engaging marketplaces. We are creating an ecosystem of platforms that redefine how people discover and connect with the products they love, and we are just getting started.

“The real-time feedback loop is one of the most powerful aspects of FashWire. It allows designers to move beyond guessing what consumers want and instead make informed decisions based on actual user engagement.”