Style.me names Carmen Ayala as VP of sales

By

Robin Driver

Published
May 2, 2018

Virtual fitting room solution Style.me announced on Monday that it has appointed industry veteran Carmen Ayala as vice president of sales, tasked with pushing the platform’s growth by introducing it to new designers and fashion brands.

 
Ayala brings twenty years of experience to her new position and joins Style.me from WGSN, where she was strategic account director for online SAAS Platform and consultancy, managing a portfolio of brands including Wal-Mart, Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor, and leading the company’s global strategic account team.

Prior to this, Ayala was senior account manager at WGSN from 2012 to 2014.

“We are thrilled to have Carmen join the Style.me team as we expand our global reach,” said Style.me CEO Rufus Parkinson in a release. “She is forward-thinking and her extensive industry knowledge and pedigree will be a great asset to us.”
 
Style.me is a digital plugin that can be integrated into e-commerce platforms, creating a virtual fitting room in which customers can try on apparel through an avatar that can be fully customized with everything from their measurements to their hair color.
 
In so doing, the company aims to solve one of online apparel retail’s biggest problems – namely, low conversions and high returns – and taps into the burgeoning market of virtual tools designed to improve consumer experience and facilitate purchases in the industry.  
 
These kinds of tools have proved particularly popular in the cosmetics sector, with makeup try-on app Youcam Makeup winning Google Play’s “Most Innovative App” award last year and Coty debuting an app-free in-browser try-on experience for its Cover Girl brand in February.

However, other industries are now getting in on the act – one potentially major development is Facebook’s recent announcement of a try-and-buy feature to be rolled out as part of its Messenger app, with Nike and Kia Motors Corp signed on to take part alongside Sephora.
 
“Fit technology and solutions as they pertain to online shopping is imperative in today’s market,” explained Ayala.
 
“Because online shopping continues to grow in consumption behavior, brands and designers are going to have to figure out a way to enhance the experience. Style.me is on track to deliver an in-store experience to the consumer via their screen and I am excited to be part of this revolutionary platform.”
 
Ayala will be based at Style.me’s New York HQ and will work with the platform’s US team in tandem with its Taiwan office.