Luxury brands? Check. Truth and authenticity? Check. A company that digitally selects unique pieces for you based on your style preferences, while also providing a seamless transaction and delivery? Check.
Welcome to DIGI-STYLE HQ, the only personalized, digital luxury fashion concierge you will ever need.
London-based CEO of DIGI-STYLE HQ, Yasmin Leonnie Senah, fell head over heels for fashion at the young age of seven through costume design from classic musicals. Her mother, a former seamstress, would co-design costumes with Yasmin and with every garment created, the two transformed the halls of their home into a runway.
After gaining an education in fine art and mixed media, Yasmin continued studying at the University of Creative Arts. During her university experience, Yasmin encountered many hardships including homelessness that had her literally living out of her suitcase. In reminiscing on these times, Yasmin shares ‘my faith gave me the strength & determination to not give up and accept defeat even when all odds were against me.’ And, thankfully she didn’t give up because despite all these obstacles, Yasmin graduated with a BA honours degree in fashion design.
Yasmin’s love for fashion continued when she landed her first styling gig (through her husband’s network in the entertainment industry), and she expanded her clientele roaster with a mixture of emerging artists, actresses and models. ‘Working with a variety of clients and having such a close interaction with them gave me the opportunity to ask a lot of questions and gain understanding for different preferences and shopping habits’ Yasmin explains. ‘I understood there was a need for change in the way people shopped and I realized that not everyone had access to a personal stylist who could accommodate that need,’ Yasmin continues. And it is Yasmin’s determination to address this change that contributed to her solution: collaborating with her husband Tapiwa (who had already ventured into technology) to create personalized, technology-based solutions for emerging designers and creatives through monthly events to educate them on customers’ preferences and habits. The duo built these tech solutions into their company, LookCard.
Expanding on her research from their first venture, COVID-19 presented the perfect storm that reinforced her hypothesis about the industry. ‘The lockdown highlighted the need for better digital solutions in fashion and made all my market research feel worthwhile,’ says Yasmin. ‘I reached out to my network and began to build a digital, personal shopping concierge that specializes in luxury products,’ Yasmin states, ‘And that is where DIGI-STYLE HQ was born.’
Not only does DIGI-STYLE HQ digitally select unique pieces for customers based on customers personal preferences, but the platform also provides a seamless transaction and delivery service ‘We understand that today we are living in a fast-paced world and many customers do not have the time to shop, but still want to find beautiful pieces [and] we also believe in celebrating independent, luxury brands by sharing their truth and authenticity,’ Yasmin highlights. The concierge platform eliminates the hierarchy stigma in luxury where loyalty is seemingly based on expenditure rather than building a journey with customers. ‘All DIGI-STYLE HQ customers will be taken on a journey with the brand, offering invaluable experiences through exclusive events, and perks regardless of whether they are a first-time shopper or a returning customer,’ Yasmin expands. ‘We believe that every customer should experience all the brand has to offer including the story that comes with the product.’
So, why focus on the experience now? Yasmin explains, ‘I still remember the feeling when I got my first designer bag. It was a Christian Lacroix Limited Edition that my husband surprised me with after I first saw it in the window of the hidden streets of Juan Les Pins. You just don’t forget the story associated with the bag,’ says Yasmin. And this is what DIGI-STYLE HQ intends to create for customers – the story, the feeling, the experience that is attached and, most importantly, the journey of the product that customers will be purchasing. Even though fashion and the times we are living in are fast paced, the story and experience associated are timeless. DIGI-STYLE HQ launches this month, so be sure to check in @digistylehq and DIGI-STYLE HQ for more.
MSM ASKS YASMIN LEONNIE SENAH:
What is your favourite brand at the moment?
“I’m really loving Jacquemus SS20 & Aleksandre Akhalkatsishvili. I’m a sucker for deconstruction.”
Your top “go-to” colours for summer and fall?
“Hmm that’s a hard one, I have a lot of transitional items in my wardrobe that goes from summer to fall. Throughout lockdown, I have been wearing mainly white and neutral tones - and in winter I usually go all blacked out with a pop of colour.”
Best piece of styling advice for everyone?
“I always advise my clients to invest in quality over quantity, this applies to everyone whether your someone with a small budget or a large. If your someone who likes to follow trends, then invest in quality, but timeless pieces so you can always update your long-lasting wardrobe with additional trend pieces throughout the seasons.”
Written by: Sandy Aziz (Contributing Editor)
DIGI-STYLE HQ credits:
Photographed by: Condry Calvin Mlilo Creative & Art Direction by: Calvin Mlilo & Yasmin Leonnie Senah Styled by: Yasmin Leonnie Senah Makeup by: Jasmine Lasota Hair by: Tapiwa Senah Interior by: Sabrina Durant Retoucher: Alina Pavliv