Drest
Drest is a London-based mobile fashion styling game that lets users dress avatars with products from 260+ luxury brands, serving young, digitally native fashion enthusiasts through a freemium app with brand-sponsored challenges and editorial content.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Drest does
Drest is a London-based fashion entertainment platform founded in 2019 by Lucy Yeomans, a former magazine Editor-in-Chief. The company's core product is a free-to-download mobile styling game built on the Unity engine, in which users dress digital avatars using products from more than 260 luxury brands including Gucci, Prada, Valentino, Fendi, Versace, Cartier, and Bottega Veneta. The platform fuses daily fashion editorial content with gamified styling challenges, real-time narrative quests, live in-game events, and branded virtual journeys, with over 500,000 monthly active users and 1.3 billion+ product try-ons recorded.
The company monetizes through a freemium model combining in-app purchases of virtual currency and items, third-party advertising delivered via Applovin, and B2B brand partnership activations (sponsored challenges, competitions, and product placements). Following the November 2024 relaunch, the platform introduced in-app shopping for real luxury items, expanding its revenue surface into transactional e-commerce. Strategic partnerships span the fashion value chain, including hospitality (Oetker Collection), fashion weeks (Copenhagen Fashion Week), fine jewellery (Cartier, Messika), beauty (Jimmy Choo, celebrity hairstylists), and technology (Unity-based Web3/metaverse experiences).
Drest is incorporated as DREST Limited in England and Wales, with registered offices in London and Birmingham, and operates across 18+ countries through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The company raised £15 million in funding in June 2023 and is led by Co-CEOs Lucy Yeomans and Daniel Svärd, with Alex Holder serving as VP of Brand Partnerships. Headcount is reported at 51-100 employees.
Drest firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Drest
- Legal name
- DREST Limited
- Website
- https://drest.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Drest is a London-based mobile fashion styling game that lets users dress avatars with products from 260+ luxury brands, serving young, digitally native fashion enthusiasts through a freemium app with brand-sponsored challenges and editorial content.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Drest industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile fashion gaming
- NAICS
- Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120), Health and Personal Care Retailers (4561)
- SIC
- Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Virtual Styling & Outfit Planning (HSACAJAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wardrobe Styling & Closet Curation (HSACAJAA), Luxury Shopping & Personal Styling Experiences (Personal Shopper, Atelier Visits) (THAJALAL), Editorial/Fashion Makeup (HSALAHAD)
Keywords
Where Drest is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Drest business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- In-App Purchases: Users purchase virtual currency to buy virtual items within the service. In-app purchases can only be consumed within the service and cannot be exchanged for money. Pricing is determined at the discretion of DREST and charged via the user's App Store account (Apple or Google Play). The platform has no cap on in-app purchases.
- In-App Advertising: The service displays third-party advertisements, including personalised and interest-based advertising delivered via Applovin, DREST's advertising partner. The platform uses ad identifiers, cookies, and similar tracking technologies to deliver targeted ads.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free app with optional in-app purchases |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Drest product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Drest is a mobile fashion entertainment platform that fuses daily fashion editorial content with gamified avatar styling. Users dress avatars using real luxury fashion and beauty products from 260+ brands including Gucci, Prada, Cartier, Versace, Valentino and Fendi, participate in editorial styling challenges and brand-sponsored activations, and can purchase real luxury items directly within the app. The platform also incorporates Web3 elements and metaverse-style experiences, including branded virtual journeys using iconic locations as backdrops.
Product overview
Drest operates as a single unified fashion entertainment platform combining a mobile game with e-commerce capabilities. The core product, DREST, is a fashion styling game that allows users to dress avatars using real luxury brands while engaging with fashion editorial content. The platform was rebuilt on Unity (DREST Game 2.0) to enhance accessibility and merge fashion with gaming. Users can participate in styling challenges, access branded collections from luxury partners, and purchase real fashion items. The platform integrates social sharing features and gamification mechanics to democratize luxury fashion experiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DREST Mobile App A free-to-download mobile fashion styling game for individual consumers that fuses daily fashion editorial content with gamified avatar dressing using real luxury fashion and beauty products from over 260 brands including Gucci, Prada, Cartier, Versace, Valentino and Fendi.
- DREST Game 2.0 Next-generation iteration of the DREST platform rebuilt on Unity, designed to bring fashion into the metaverse with Web3 integration, lifestyle games, real-time narrative quests, live in-game special events, and exclusive branded virtual journeys.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 500,000 monthly active users
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Drest
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Drest technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature5 records
Drest partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, minor and operational.
- Cartier (Maison Cartier)coreDREST partnered with Maison Cartier to launch the Clash de Cartier collection on its platform, marking DREST's first fine jewellery activation and expansion beyond fashion and accessories. The collaboration brings Cartier's contemporary collection featuring coloured stones and modular designs to DREST's digital environment through editorial styling challenges.
- Jimmy ChoomajorDREST partnered with Jimmy Choo to launch a Paris-themed styling challenge, inviting users to showcase their fashion creativity in a unique gaming experience. The partnership included a competition with Jimmy Choo product prizes.
- Sam McKnight, Vernon François, Jennifer YepezminorDREST partnered with renowned hairstylists Sam McKnight, Vernon François, and Jennifer Yepez to introduce new hairstyle features in the game, marking the launch of its Artist Series aimed at enhancing interactive gaming experiences in the beauty industry.
- VersacemajorAs part of DREST's major November 2024 app relaunch, Versace was announced as a key brand partner, linking with the Fashion Awards and new storytelling features.
- Copenhagen Fashion WeekminorDREST teamed up with Copenhagen Fashion Week, the leading fashion event in Scandinavia, enhancing its product with Web3 elements and allowing users to try on Copenhagen Fashion Week's latest styles in the metaverse.
- Oetker CollectionminorIn a travel-industry first, DREST partnered with Oetker Collection (the hospitality group behind Masterpiece Hotels including Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, The Lanesborough, Le Bristol Paris, and Eden Rock - St Barths) to allow players to use iconic hotel locations as backdrops for their avatars, integrating luxury hospitality into the metaverse experience.
- MessikaminorDREST partnered with high jewellery brand Messika and supermodel Kate Moss for a unique metaverse experience featuring a supermarket styling challenge.
- British Fashion CouncilminorThe British Fashion Council is listed as a 'Proud Supporter' of DREST on the company website.
- ApplovinoperationalApplovin is DREST's advertising partner, enabling personalised ads to be delivered to users' devices. A copy of Applovin's privacy policy is referenced in DREST's own privacy policy.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Drest competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- DRESSX: Digital-fashion marketplace offering AR try-on and virtual wearables from luxury and designer brands. Comparable to DREST in the digital-fashion-discovery layer and increasingly overlapping as DREST expands its in-app commerce feature.
- Ready Player Me: Cross-platform avatar-creation infrastructure used by games and metaverse apps. Comparable to DREST in the avatar-styling layer of the metaverse stack and increasingly relevant as DREST expands its Web3 integrations.
- Zepeto: Avatar-based social platform with strong fashion-brand collaborations (Gucci, Dior, Ralph Lauren). Comparable to DREST in avatar styling, luxury brand partnerships, and Gen-Z target audience, though operates as a broader social metaverse.
- IMVU: Avatar-based social platform with virtual fashion item marketplace and brand partnerships. Comparable to DREST in avatar styling, virtual goods monetisation, and social sharing mechanics.
Direct peers
- Covet Fashion: Mobile fashion styling game where players dress avatars in real brand-name looks and vote on each other's outfits. Closest direct competitor to DREST in the fashion-dress-up gaming category, sharing the same freemium, brand-partner monetisation model.
- Style Me Girl: Earlier-generation fashion dress-up mobile game with a similar styling-challenge format and brand-partner integrations. Provides historical comparison for retention and monetisation trajectories in this category.
- Superstylist: Mobile fashion styling game from Nordcurrent featuring real-world fashion brands and styling competitions. Directly comparable to DREST in gameplay loop, target audience, and brand-partnership monetisation approach.
Broad incumbents
- The Sims (EA / Maxis): Iconic life-simulation franchise where players style avatars with fashion and lifestyle content, including brand collaborations. Comparable in core 'styling as gameplay' mechanic but addresses a much broader demographic.
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo): Mainstream lifestyle-simulation game with deep avatar customisation and fashion expression. Comparable in the social-lifestyle-gaming category and has hosted major brand collaborations, representing both inspiration and competitive scale risk.
- Roblox: Massive-scale gaming platform hosting branded virtual experiences including fashion and luxury collaborations (Gucci Garden, Vans World). Represents both a distribution competitor and a partnership alternative for luxury brands evaluating digital activations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Drest social profiles
Digital presenceDrest financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Drest leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Drest funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Drest M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Drest
What does Drest do?
Drest is a mobile fashion entertainment platform that fuses daily fashion editorial content with gamified avatar styling. Users dress avatars using real luxury fashion and beauty products from 260+ brands including Gucci, Prada, Cartier, Versace, Valentino and Fendi, participate in editorial styling challenges and brand-sponsored activations, and can purchase real luxury items directly within the app. The platform also incorporates Web3 elements and metaverse-style experiences, including branded virtual journeys using iconic locations as backdrops.
Is Drest a public or private company?
Drest is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Drest founded?
Drest was founded in 2019. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Drest based?
Drest is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Drest make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. In-App Purchases are the primary driver. The others are in-App Advertising.
Who are Drest's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are DRESSX, Ready Player Me, Zepeto and IMVU. Direct peers are Covet Fashion, Style Me Girl and Superstylist. Broad incumbents are The Sims (EA / Maxis), Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo) and Roblox.
Does Drest have an API?
No public API is recorded for Drest.
What industry is Drest in?
Drest's product category is Mobile fashion gaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSACAJAF, Virtual Styling & Outfit Planning, with a secondary code of HSACAJAA, Wardrobe Styling & Closet Curation. Its NAICS code is 456120 and its SIC code is 5600.