I have made sacrifices my entire career so that I could exclusively focus on fit technology. Before there were opportunities in this field, I made my own. Years later fit technology is still my passion.

Luxor + Finch originally began as an online store I started after college. I created Luxor + Finch Consulting after graduating from Cornell’s Master’s program where I studied digital innovation and fit perception exclusively. I kept the name and pivoted my business. At Cornell, I was fortunate to make my own interdisciplinary curriculum that would prepare me to work alongside engineers and other technical roles. I didn’t know at the time that I was preparing myself to become a product manager.

I knew fashion in and out, having worked in retail while attending NC State Wilson’s College of Textiles and spending four years earning a B.S. in Fashion Development Product Management. I had developed design skills as a hobby and had utilized 3D scanning for my undergraduate senior project ( see image below). I also knew fashion would have a difficult time integrating technology and more specifically any technology around fit. Having owned an online store and tested fit based methodologies, I was more than confident that fit would one day be the biggest advantage and disadvantage fashion brands would face.

Fit was not just an issue in the industry, it remains a personal problem for me. Not being the “average model size” it is difficult to shop in-store and online. I knew exactly how to resolve fit issues for myself. But I wanted to solve it for everyone. I learned during my time working at Nordstrom that customer experience is the key. Solving problems for customers was something I loved to do.  

I started solving these problems for technology companies in the tech space first. After working with various technology start-ups in the space, I could predict the success or failure of a company based on its prioritization of the customer's experience.  The best technologies mimic natural behaviors and anticipate the needs of the shopper, then provide a medium for those needs to be met. This may seem sophisticated but it’s really exactly what a well-trained sales associate would do in store. So many people on fit tech teams never spent time with customers in fitting rooms and they have no experience understanding the nuances of fit for shoppers. This lack of understanding was often reflected in their solutions. You can always develop technical skills, you can never replace actual experience when it comes to understanding fit.

Fit isn't just about numbers. You could give a person a perfectly fitting item according to their measurements and they could still be unhappy with the garment. This isn't a theory, this is a fact. I've spent many hours in the fitting room early in my career observing this phenomenon. Preference is key and must be respected. You don't dictate preference, you don’t correct preference you simply facilitate preference by making it easier for the shopper to get what they like, how they like. It takes a different approach and a different understanding when it comes to fit based solutions.

Fit technology archetypes/ personas are not directly recyclable from other industries (see my thesis for more information). They are specific to brands, categories, retailers, purchase motivator, clothing types, and other attributes.  I say all this to say that I love resolving the fit issue. I could spend every day building, testing and implementing technologies across the supply chain that reduce returns, enhance the user experience, match people to the product and make shopping a little better for everyone.

Being a consultant is more about being hyper-focused on an area of the industry in which you can give your expertise accurately and passionately. How many people can say they are doing what they love? It sounds cliche but I can say it proudly and as a result, I’m the best at what I do.

Jcouch@luxorandfinch.com