August 1, 2025

The Honest Beginning

When I first built Lila, she was a closet.

The plan sounded responsible upload your clothes, organize them, and get smart outfit ideas.

It was neat in theory… until I started testing other closet apps.

I stared at the upload screen and thought:

• I have zero bandwidth to photograph, tag, and catalog my entire closet.

• And honestly? My closet isn’t even that inspiring right now.

• Why the hell am I building this?

That’s when it hit me: if I didn’t want to use it, no one else would.

We weren’t solving a style problem — we were solving a data-entry problem.

No one dreams of spending their Saturday uploading blazers into a digital database.

They dream of feeling seen, expressing themselves, and finding something that makes them feel confident.

The real question wasn’t “How do we store outfits?”

It was “How do we understand people?”

That’s where we went from Closet → Stylist

So we scrapped the closet and rebuilt Lila from scratch — this time, as a conversational stylist.

Instead of asking for uploads, she started asking:

• “What’s the mood?”

• “What’s the event?”

• “What kind of energy do you want to bring?”

• And suddenly, the experience transformed.

It wasn’t about managing items — it was about translating feelings into style.

We Learned You don’t need a perfect closet to have great style.

You need reflection, conversation, and a spark of inspiration.

The biggest lesson?

Personalization doesn’t come from data entry — it comes from dialogue.

That’s when Lila stopped being an app and started becoming a companion.

Today, Lila doesn’t just organize — she understands.

She remembers your events, senses your energy, and keeps refining how she helps you feel confident.

She’s growing from a tool into a stylist, and maybe even a friend.

And honestly, I think that’s her best look yet. 💜

👉 Join our waitlist to meet her yourself.

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About the Author

Maria is the founder of Lila the Stylist — building AI that actually gets your vibe. She writes about product building, AI, and the chaos of turning inspiration into something real.

Follow her on LinkedIn for product building, emotional design, and occasional sass.💁🏻‍♀️