A new app promises to offer ultimate convenience and deliver your new purchases within 90 minutes. NIFT (an acronym for Need It For Tonight) connects users to local independent labels across London, enabling fast delivery - perfect for solving last-minute sartorial dilemmas.
While we're all for being conscious about our spending, especially during the festive season, busy schedules and late invitations sometimes leave you with nothing appropriate to wear. Maybe an order didn't reach you on time or it doesn't fit, leaving you back to square one with your outfit planning.
NIFT stocks beloved brands like Gucci, Miu Miu, Ganni, Rixo and Jimmy Choo, as well as countless others from smaller boutique labels, all of which can be delivered to your door within an hour and a half.
It is this love for independent brands that led sisters Simone and Roxanne Oloman to launch their app. "Our passion lies in showcasing these hidden gems and promoting the stores, encouraging customers to explore the offerings available locally rather than always opting for mainstream brands," says Roxanne, one half of NIFT. The app also uses its presence to promote sustainable shopping over the fast-fashion giants that dominate the online experience. "We have carefully curated our app to include conscious and luxury brands; we only want to include quality labels that extend the life of their products, unlike fast-fashion brands that often result in disposability after minimal use," says Simone.
We spoke to the co-founders to learn more about the concept behind their app, misconceptions in fashion and what's next for NIFT.
How did you come up with the concept of NIFT?
SO: "Roxanne had experienced a late delivery of an item she wanted to wear for an event later that day. It got us into a conversation about how poor delivery is in London: late and long deliveries, missed deliveries, inability to fulfill orders It dawned on both of us that while the city has many incredible on-demand delivery apps, there wasn't an equivalent service for fashion - where people could access quality brands and stores without fear of a missed delivery. incredible range of independent and local shops in London, it seemed like customers couldn't find a way to discover what was in their area in the same way with food delivery apps. That's why we created our app, which gives customers access can get to boutiques and brands in less than 90 minutes."
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Your app connects consumers to local stores and boutique labels, as well as luxury brands - why was that important to you?
RO: "There are so many incredible boutiques and independent shops in London that are often overlooked by people, especially when it comes to online shopping. Our passion lies in highlighting these hidden gems and promoting the stores, with we encourage customers to explore the range available to them locally rather than just opting for mainstream brands. Helping boutiques and brands achieve deliveries in under 90 minutes means they can also reach the larger retailers With the unfortunate closure of so many stores, our goal is to attract new customers to smaller stores, which serve as a digital extension of their physical presence."
How does your app help us shop greener?
SO: "We have carefully curated our app to include conscious and luxury brands; we only want to include quality labels that extend the life of their products, unlike fast-fashion brands that often result in disposability after minimal use. Central to the essence of NIFT is the promotion of local shopping, where we encourage users to discover what is available in their area, and we will deliver it within 90 minutes. By facilitating fulfillment from local stores, last-mile deliveries reduce emissions by 17 to 26 percent."
RO: "Our commitment extends to prioritizing sustainable transportation methods, coupled with efficient routes and embedded real-time delivery tracking. Our approach aims to minimize the chance of missed or delayed deliveries, ensuring a seamless and reliable customer experience. "
What do you think needs to change in the sector to make it more sustainable?
RO: "Consumer information. If more consumers were educated about the environmental impact of their choices, it would really help. Transparency in the supply chain would contribute to this, as it ensures consumers have access to information about how products are produced and distributed, allowing them to support companies that truly align with their values."
What do you wish people knew more about when it comes to the fashion industry?
SO: "It is crucial that people are more aware of the significant environmental impacts associated with fast fashion. The rapid production of low-quality, one-off garments significantly contributes to pollution, resource depletion and increased waste. People are not always sufficiently educated. about where these garments come from and often they are produced through unethical labor practices. By understanding these aspects, customers can make more informed choices about their clothing purchases and opt for quality and ethical alternatives."
What is the smallest change a consumer can make to become more environmentally conscious?
SO: "Buying quality clothes that they really love and will wear again, rather than buying a sale item only to never wear it again. It's something we were both guilty of growing up and are committed to now. be so conscious about it. We would really like to encourage all NIFT users to buy what they really like and that they will wear again."
What do you think is the biggest misconception about sustainable fashion?
RO: "One of the biggest misconceptions about sustainable fashion is that it is always expensive. While it is true that some sustainable fashion items can be more expensive due to the use of high-quality materials, that is not the case for everyone. There are affordable and sustainable options available, and many conscious brands are working to make their products more accessible."
What's next for NIFT?
RO: "We have many exciting plans for the future, including releasing a website version of our app and also many new, exciting brands and boutiques in the pipeline. We are keen to continue to grow and expand to other cities in the future."
NIFT is currently only available to customers living in London.
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