When Rey Dwivedi (COM’25) finds herself running late for an important interview, she knows exactly how the day will end—returning home to a chaotic explosion of rejected outfits covering every surface of her bedroom. This all-too-familiar scenario inspired her to develop Clueless by Design, an innovative AI-powered closet automation app designed to transform how people organize and interact with their wardrobes.
“Studies have shown that people spend over 10,000 hours in their lifetime picking out an outfit,” Dwivedi explains. “To get to know me better, you’d have to multiply that number by four.”
A senior studying public relations with a minor in international relations, Dwivedi started at Boston University through the College of General Studies program, which included a semester abroad in London. Now in her final year, she’s focusing on bringing her long-held vision to life through Innovate@BU’s resources and programming.
Clueless by Design—named after the iconic 1995 film featuring Cher Horowitz’s digital closet—uses artificial intelligence to organize, plan, and categorize clothing by weather conditions, occasions, and scheduled events. The app features calendar integration, sustainability tracking, and self-avatar customization that allows users to visualize outfits before wearing them.
“Once you upload your clothing items, you’ll be all set because you have your virtual closet literally in the palm of your hand,” Dwivedi says.
The concept addresses a startling reality about consumption habits. “People only use 20% of the clothes in their closet rather than everything they have,” Dwivedi notes. “It’s really a matter of styling what you already own rather than just accumulating more clothing.”
The app’s sustainability focus also addresses fast fashion’s environmental impact. Clueless by Design includes features that identify duplicate or rarely worn items, suggesting users sell them on platforms like Poshmark or eBay rather than contributing to fashion waste through donations that may end up in landfills.
“With fast fashion’s prevalence, Clueless by Design can help create what I like to call a cleaner, chicer fashion world,” Dwivedi says.
This isn’t Dwivedi’s first attempt at launching the concept. She initially developed the idea for a high school Shark Tank-style competition, where she secured second place as a sophomore. “I didn’t know anything about anything, and I had no app prototype,” she recalls. “But I thought it was interesting. I’d seen it in the movie and wanted to incorporate it into real life.”
Seven years later, that initial spark has evolved into a sophisticated venture with potential industry partnerships. As Dwivedi works on refining her prototype, she’s already connected with influencers and brands interested in collaboration opportunities.
Dwivedi is taking Clueless by Design to the next level as a finalist team in the New Venture Competition and competing for a piece of the $80k grand prize! You can see Clueless by Design pitch on stage at Innovators’ Night on April 16th.
