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For decades, online shopping has hinged on one frustrating constant: the search bar. To find what you want, you’ve had to guess the right keywords, sift through irrelevant results and hope that a brand’s backend taxonomy aligns with how you describe a product. But now, with generative AI tools like ChatGPT and a wave of fashion-focused search startups, the model of product discovery is undergoing a rapid transformation.
So how are people really searching today? More than 60% of Gen-Z shoppers now start their product searches outside of Google or Amazon, according to a 2024 study from Forbes. Instead, they’re browsing TikTok hauls, using Google Lens or Pinterest boards, or leaning on private chats or resale platforms. They want discovery based on vibe, value and social context, not rigid dropdown filters. That shift has made traditional e-commerce search tools feel not only outdated, but broken.
Phia, which launched April 24, is one of the clearest examples of what the next wave of fashion search looks like. Co-founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, the browser extension and app works as a digital shopping assistant for Gen Z, comparing prices of new and secondhand products across more than 40,000 marketplaces.
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