E-COMMERCE, MEET AI

Goodbye, bad lighting and annoying returns. SpreeAl is changing the way we shop.

- By ROB VERGER

The best way to understand John Imah is to take a close look at the lavender Sergio Hudson-designed ensemble he wore to the Met Gala this year.

Imah, who is the co-founder and CEO of SpreeAI, wore a custom double-breasted suit paired with an overcoat covered in embroidery designed to look like computer circuits. Clusters of blue Edo beads on the coat paid homage to Imah's Nigerian heritage, as did a pin with both the U.S. and the Nigerian flags. "This is the look," he says with a laugh, while modeling the garment inside his sleek condo in New York City's Tribeca neighborhood.

Getting the look right is the main idea behind SpreeAI, which makes technology that lets shoppers virtually try on garments and accessories and view them from multiple angles. Imah says that the company has close to 40 partners, including American luxury brand Sergio Hudson and the British contemporary women's wear label Kai Collective, and has raised nearly $100 million to date. In May, the company became a unicorn when it hit a valuation of $1.5 billion. The board includes his close friend and fashion royalty Naomi Campbell.