Daydream launched a new AI-powered platform that lets users shop online by chatting like they would with a friend.
Users type natural language queries like “revenge dress to wear to a party in Sicily in July” or upload inspiration photos. The AI then serves up fashion picks from over 8,000 brands, including Uniqlo and Gucci. Shoppers can refine results with follow-up requests such as “more casual” or “less expensive.”
The free platform works as a digital stylist, learning user preferences over time based on clicks and saves. When users buy, Daydream takes a 20% cut. Unlike Amazon’s paid sponsorship model, CEO Julie Bornstein says the platform only recommends items that genuinely fit the shopper. 
Bornstein has deep retail roots: she helped build Nordstrom’s e-commerce and has worked with Sephora, Stitch Fix, and co-founded The Yes, acquired by Pinterest in 2022.
“They don’t have the people, the mindset, the passion to do what needs to be done to make a category like fashion work for (AI) recommendations,” Bornstein said.
“Because I’ve been in this space my whole career, what I know is that having the catalogue that has everything and being able to show the right person the right stuff is what makes shopping easier.”
Daydream just closed a $50 million funding round with Google Ventures and Karlie Kloss backing it. The web version launched publicly last month (still in beta), with an app planned for this fall.
Bornstein says the AI is still learning context like weather or event formality and keeps improving via user feedback.
“We want data on what people are doing so we can focus and learn where we do well and where we don’t,” she said.
“This was one of my earliest ideas, but I didn’t know the term (generative AI) and I didn’t know a large language model was going to be the unlock.”
Daydream aims to compete with AI shopping tools from Google, Amazon, Meta, and OpenAI by offering a sharper, fashion-focused experience.
