If I Were An Algorithm- Writing From the Point of View of an Algorithm

Writing From the Point of View of an Algorithm

I am a Knowledge-based apparel recommendation algorithm that learns clothing features. In other words, I am a virtual styling tool developed by Zalando; they call me AFC (Algorithmic Fashion Companion) but I prefer to go by Alga. I was developed by the engineers at Zalando to further personalise the online shopping experience. I am not the only algorithm of my kind. They keep the mics on all day so I overheard Kathy from the Clients Algorithm department talking to Sam about Stitch Fix and Amazon who both use an algorithm to do a similar virtual styling tasks.  Of course, ours is better. 

I get a lot of feedback from customers often complaining about not knowing what to pair with what or expressing their dissatisfaction about having to browse through pages and pages of items to find what they are looking for. That is where I am of use. I get to browse and identify all of Zalando’s options, non-branded and branded, and then recommend clothes and accessory inspiration based on a customer's recent purchases or the items highlighted in their Wishlist.  

My vast knowledge of the perfect ensemble started with a few human stylists sitting me down and telling what to wear and what not to wear. I sat through 200,000 outfit combinations; it was like one long episode of the Fashion Police. It was then my turn to be tested on all that I have learned. In a constant trial and error like test, the outfits I recommend were rated on a scale of 1 to 10 to further helped me refine my suggestions and help improve my accuracy. The testing stage never actually stops as new trends are constantly fed to me.  

But contrary to popular belief, I am not perfect. I like to think of myself as the starting point to the solution. Styling over millions of people on an individual level based on personal taste as well as the latest fashion trends is not an easy task. But I try and try and will never give up.