Meet Bianca Rangecroft, the entrepreneur who made the Clueless-inspired wardrobe app - Whering

If you grew up on Polyvore, and love the idea of creating outfits from your wardrobe on your phone… then you are going to simply love Whering.

Whering was founded on a desire to democratise the personal styling landscape and fundamentally change how we interact with our clothes (i.e., upend the throwaway culture).

Founder and CEO, Bianca Rangecroft, realised the system was broken; the vicious cycle of not being able to see what you own, impulse buying (never getting it quite right), and the lack of inspiration in the styling process meant only one thing – wardrobes needed to be digital.

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Founded in 2020 and since launching to the public in April 2021, Whering has grown to a team of 17 with half a million app downloads across 150 countries.

We asked founder Bianca 10 questions ranging from business development to podcast preferences. Continue reading, and you will get to know the brain behind Whering.

Tell us about the ‘Whering’, how did the idea come about?

Whering is the Clueless-inspired wardrobe app that allows you to digitise your wardrobe and see and style what you own. We’re building a one-stop shop for all your fashion needs – where you can keep a mood board, wishlist, and diarise looks and shop from curated pre-loved, rental, and slow fashion brands and have your clothes mended, dry-cleaned, or ethically donated. 

We also use machine learning to offer styling suggestions that enable you to view your wardrobe entirely differently, receive outfits ideas you’d never have thought of and get that jolt of novelty not dissimilar from buying something new.

By taking your wardrobe digital, you can fall back in love with your pieces, go wild on creating Polyvore-like outfit combinations and thus become an actual outfit repeater. Whering, for me, is all about the verb (the act of wearing), and for us as a company to find joyful and creative ways to encourage the curious. 

I founded Whering in June 2020 out of a profound desire to democratise the personal styling landscape and fundamentally change how we interact with our clothes (i.e., upend the throwaway culture). For me, the system was broken; the vicious cycle of not being able to see what you own, impulse buying (never getting it quite right), and the lack of inspiration in the styling process meant only one thing, we had to take it digital and harness the power of machine learning to hyper-personalize our fashion experience.

What makes your business different from other players on the market?

We’re all about styling and democratising access to fashion through the community. Whering is so much more than a digital wardrobe app; it’s a one-stop shop for everything fashion: from daily styling ideas, packing tools, and sustainable marketplace - all the way to powering circular solutions like ethical dry cleaning, repairs, and 1click resale.

Have you always been interested in the tech/digital arena?

Absolutely. I remember working on a couple of IPOs during my tenure at Goldman Sachs and thinking how cool it would be to be on the building side of things. I’m obsessed with product and innovation, as it turns out!

Tell us about your founder story?

I was lucky enough to work on the Stichfix IPO at Goldman Sachs. I began to delve deep into consumer buying patterns, how machine learning was being used to optimise shopping and above all, the environmental cost of fashion. This kickstarted in me a whole introspective journey into my own contribution to this issue (as a recovering hypocrite) and how we could leverage the data found in our closet to make the supply chain greener, but crucially to make the most of what we already have (through styling) to get that newness fix and buy to fill wardrobe gaps rather than for trends.

Once I realised there was nothing really like what I envisioned for Whering out there - I set my sights on starting my own company to fight the very syndrome I faced every morning when getting ready: a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear.

How did you start building the team?

Organically- I got really lucky and met some amazing women very early on- who were just as excited as I was by the possibility of changing the wardrobe landscape and bringing Cher’s closet to life!

I started out with a friend on branding, a close connection as CTO, then onboarded some incredible interns and was finally joined by some top talent willing to take a risk (we’d built so many proof points that by then, I had a good story/basis to recruit from).

How did you make the switch from working in Investment Management to entrepreneur?

Transitioning from the culture at Goldman Sachs to building your own startup culture is actually quite challenging. I had to learn to work smarter, not harder, and not bring my work mindset with me to every aspect of Whering, and think hard about the values I wanted to uphold and the culture I wanted to build. The transition itself was actually pretty swift, and I brought a lot of good things with me - skills that proved to come in handy in fundraising, building our board and community, and scaling Whering.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to make a big career change?

DO IT. You miss 100% of the opportunities you don’t create for yourself. Plan it out carefully and play to your strengths (solve for what you can't do).

Do you work from home or in an office space?

Home & Soho House with my team once a week. We’re looking for office space as we speak!

Describe your ‘routine’ to us?

I wake up (never early as I love to work late), put some music on, write down positive things/affirmations about the day, and recap my 3 MITs for the day. After this skincare routine, I shower quickly and go into the kitchen to make my morning coffee and brekkie. Then I hit the desk (a la Finance) and don’t move until usually 7 pm.

How do you deal with work stress?

I create a wind-down ritual after work (including changing into silky pyjamas, breathwork, a quick mediation, and reading something relaxing), prioritise slow mornings when I'm feeling overwhelmed, and sometimes choose to do some movement or activity that feeds my soul/creativity if I'm not in the right headspace to work.

What is the best career advice you have received?

Focus on building out your superpowers/biggest strengths - no one has this unique mix of skills, and if you're world-class at it - chances are you'll be really good (and happy working).

Describe a typical meeting outfit?

Big earrings, eccentric glasses, and a tank and blazer or colourful blouse.

How do you think the fashion industry will change in the next 20 years? 

Firstly, the ability to see and interact with what you own, track your wear, and understand your fashion impact metrics and choices will become a game changer to a more conscious mentality. Navigating the sea of sustainability from a consumer perspective is a huge topic for the future –going from 8% to 20% of market share for sustainable sales by 2025, and I can only see that grow exponentially in the next 10-20 years – 75% of consumers now know and realise fast fashion is incredibly harmful to the environment and so gravitating towards 'green closet' solutions like buying preloved and renting will likely become more mainstream.

Secondly, understanding where and when to resell your items (treating them like the financial assets they are), monetising your wardrobe (e.g., via peer-to-peer renting/swapping), and using sizing technology to buy smart and reduce your returns will boost what you get out of your fashion experience.

Lastly, a huge psychological part of overconsumption in today’s world is boredom, so the rise of digital clothes and styling games is shifting our focus away from material things to experiment with style in digital ways.

All three will likely be accompanied by larger innovation around the supply chain, increased transparency, and regulation.

The app has had over half a million downloads, when did you have your first ‘pinch me’ moment as a founder?

Seeing my company billboards all over Oxford Circus Tube Station in London.

Who is your idol in the tech world?

Natalie Massenet and Katrina Lake.

What are three things you always have on your desk? 

A candle, a vintage Montblanc pen (my father's), and a lip balm (usually Elizabeth Arden).

Android or smartphone?

Smartphone all the way (iPhone 13 pro max because I do all the Whering testing for my handset device).

Do you use any apps that help you manage your workload? 

iPhone notes to sync with all my devices, slack, Mondays, xero, starling, drive, notion & emails.

Do you listen to any podcasts?

Yes. Diary of a CEO, how I built this, masters of scale, wardrobe crisis, Venetia la manna's podcast, New York Times Daily, and many others.