Many Italians present at S&L Vietnam
The 25th edition of the International Shoes & Leather Exhibition in Vietnam opened in Ho Chi Minh City on 9 July 2025 and will close on 11 July.
Keep reading...From 14 to 17 June 2025, the Innovation Village Retail at Expo Riva Schuh and Gardabags was back in the spotlight, showcasing the best innovative solutions dedicated to distribution. The centrepiece of the event, organised in collaboration with Retail Hub, was the highly anticipated Startup Competition, now in its eighth edition, with impressive results: 68 startups from 19 different countries had the opportunity to present revolutionary ideas to transform the sector.
The jury, composed of leading buyers and market experts, awarded the prize to Irisphera, a Romanian startup that stood out for the quality of its technological proposal and its ability to respond concretely to one of the biggest challenges facing online fashion retail: efficient returns management and sustainable purchasing.
Thanks to its victory, Irisphera will be present at the next edition of Expo Riva Schuh and Gardabags scheduled for January 2026, an opportunity to further establish itself on the international scene. The startup offers an innovative SaaS platform that combines artificial intelligence and 3D technology to help consumers choose clothing that perfectly fits their body type. The result: a significant reduction in returns of up to 30%, an increase in conversions and valuable analytical data for retailers.
IRISPHERA: A VIRTUAL PERSONAL SHOPPER THAT CHANGES THE RULES OF THE GAME
Online shopping today presents numerous challenges, especially due to the high rate of returns, which generates significant operating costs and considerable environmental impacts. Irisphera, through a virtual personal shopper powered by AI, provides personalised recommendations in terms of size, colour and style, combined with the ability to view clothes virtually in 360°.
Antonia Dumitriu, CEO and co-founder of Irisphera, tells us about the mission and distinctive features of the solution: «Our technology is highly scalable and automatically transforms images of clothes on retailers’ websites into 3D models in a matter of seconds. No physical samples or high production costs are required. Since its launch last December, we already have customers in Romania, Italy and the Netherlands, and we are entering the UAE market with a men’s fashion group.»
The immediate benefits are clear: «We are already seeing significant results, such as doubling conversion rates, increasing customer loyalty through a better customer experience and more robust business strategies based on key consumer data», adds Dumitriu.
«By working with us – continues the CEO – retailers can access savings of up to 7.5 billion, reduce returns by 30% and cut emissions by 60%. Considering that the fashion industry generates around 10% of total CO₂ emissions, partly due to returns, our platform represents a concrete and sustainable solution.»
Integrating Irisphera is simple and straightforward: «For websites based on Shopify or WordPress, we already have plugins ready to use. For other sites, integration is via API. All we need are the images already online, which are automatically processed and digitised into 3D models», concludes Dumitriu.
The Innovation Village Retail thus continues to confirm its status as a key showcase for innovative start-ups ready to rewrite the rules of fashion distribution, looking determinedly to the future of the sector. An excellent opportunity for buyers to find new avenues for their business.
