Inspiration
Inspired by the goal of reducing textile waste through smarter shopping habits. By enabling virtual try-ons, customers can easily see if clothes suit them before buying. Personalised style advice also guides shoppers towards items they'll genuinely love, reducing returns and unnecessary waste.
What it does
As the name suggests, Swag Swap provides users with an easy-to-use virtual try-on experience. Simply upload a body photo and garment images, then instantly swap outfits to preview your look. Explore multiple poses and clothing combinations, and save your favourite outfits directly in the app. Our AI stylist adds a dash of swag, offering personalised recommendations to ensure every outfit suits your vibe, whether you’re dressing for casual hangouts or special events.
Main features: Virtual clothing swaps, Save favourite outfits, Personalised AI styling advice
How we built it
We started this hackathon with a vision: to create a product that reflects our commitment to sustainability and reducing fashion waste. It’s surprising—and concerning—how quickly clothing goes from being worn one day to being discarded the next. The cycle of fast fashion generates an overwhelming amount of waste, and we knew we had to address this issue with technology.
Our core feature, Virtual Try-On, was the first step toward this goal. Our KLING AI integration for Virtual Try-On revolutionizes how users shop by letting them visualize outfits on themselves before purchasing. With our innovative product, we aim to reduce unnecessary returns, overbuying, and waste. This not only helps users make better shopping decisions but also minimizes the environmental impact of discarded apparel.
From there, we expanded our platform to include favorite collections, enabling users to save and revisit clothing they love instead of making impulse purchases. We also introduced professional styling advice and AI-powered suggestions using OpenAI API, guiding users toward more thoughtful and sustainable fashion choices.
What started as a simple idea to reduce waste through virtual fitting has grown into a platform that empowers users to shop smarter, make eco-conscious decisions, and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Tech Stack Frontend: ReactJS, Typescript, MUI Backend: FastAPI for backend server deployed on Render. Postgres Database, deployed on Supabase. KLING AI API for swag swap (Virtual Try-on) and OpenAI API for Image to text suggestions. Cloudinary for image storage.
Challenges we ran into
Our first major obstacle was identifying an idea that was truly innovative yet achievable within our limited timeframe. We aimed to step outside the norm, but quickly realised balancing innovation and practicality was tougher than expected. Another significant challenge was achieving high-quality virtual try-ons—existing solutions often produced flawed or unrealistic results, pushing our technical skills to the limit to deliver a realistic experience.
Additionally, feature overload became a real issue. Initially, we envisioned many exciting functionalities, but with only 48 hours available, we had to ruthlessly prioritise essential features, forcing difficult cuts. Despite our development team's relentless effort to deploy the app on schedule, we encountered countless unforeseen bugs—both on the frontend and backend—that consumed far more time and energy than anticipated.
Finally, coordinating teamwork proved challenging. Our team of six had vastly different schedules, making in-person collaboration nearly impossible and adding extra complexity to the development process.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Beyond the product itself, we take immense pride in our growth as a team. We’ve pushed ourselves beyond our comfort zones, tackling complex challenges arise when collaborating for the first time. What started as brainstorming sessions and countless iterations has now evolved into a fully realized project. Along the way, we’ve fine-tuned our collaboration, strengthened our problem-solving skills, and learned to balance ambition with execution.
Our product has reached an impressive level of quality. The generated images perfectly reflect how the clothes would look on different people and in various poses, aiding many households in making important financial decisions. On a breezy day, sitting on a wooden bench, we profoundly documented our journey and made the final touches to complete a submission we will never forget. From the UI built by our designer to the idea frameworks created by our businesswoman, and in the final moments of our engineers developing and deploying the application, we could feel the excitement and team spirit as we watched our product come to life!
What we learned
Throughout our journey, we’ve gained valuable insights that continue to shape how we work and innovate.
User-Centric Development – No matter how advanced a solution is, its success depends on how well it meets user needs. We’ve learned to prioritize usability, accessibility, and real-world impact in everything we build. We have been juggling between ideas and had a hard time finding the most meaningful deliveries. Adaptability is Key – Technology evolves rapidly, and staying ahead means being open to new tools, frameworks, and methodologies. The hackathon has been a wonderful learning experience, bringing us closer, and preparing us for our future career. Collaboration Drives Innovation – Some of our best ideas have come from teamwork, brainstorming, and sharing knowledge. We’ve seen firsthand how diverse perspectives lead to challenges and also better solutions.
What's next for Swag Swap
Next, we'll integrate a powerful visual shopping feature, allowing you to instantly find and purchase garments you've spotted anywhere online—whether Pinterest, Instagram, or real life. Just snap, upload, and shop effortlessly.
We’re also planning an AI-powered sizing tool: no more guesswork or size confusion, just precise, personalized recommendations based on your uploaded photos.
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