Revolutionize fashion with Gab Waller’s AI-powered platform

Over two years ago, I wrote a Forbes article titled “The Future of Fashion Is Sourcing: Interview with Gabe Waller, the Personal Shopper-turned-Global Empire.”

Sourced By, Gab Waller’s all-in-one platform, is set to revolutionize fashion by streamlining the entire sourcing process.

With AI as a catalyst, Sourced By is pushing the industry into new territory. Meanwhile, its unique personal touch is maintained. One-on-one interactions and relationship building remain central to Waller’s business model and success.

Since launching her business in 2018, Gabe Waller has established herself as a pioneer, creating popular and sold-out items such as The Row’s Margaux bag, Dries Van Noten sneakers, and Alaïa’s mesh Mary Jane flats. It was procured at the peak of its popularity. An ever-growing customer base.

However, being a pioneer in any industry comes with both challenges and opportunities.

Waller, the original fashion purveyor, had no proof of concept to validate his career path or demonstrate that it could even be profitable. That role did not exist before her.

“In the early days of Gab Waller, I was pivoting from my government job in Australia and exploring the fashion industry as a stylist and personal shopper,” Waller recalls. “I’ve always wondered where I fit in. What am I really passionate about? Styling felt like the most natural fit, but deep down I always wanted to do something different. I wanted to.”

Initially, she started sourcing products as a side hustle, but wasn’t sure if it would generate a steady income. “When I started Gab Waller, I worked full time for three more months before I realized I could get something out of this. I could support myself and believe in this. and can do it full time.”

Everything changed for Waller when he landed high-profile clients like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, paving the way for a star-studded roster that includes Hailey Bieber and Sofia Richie Grainge. The rest, as they say, is fashion history.

Six years later, Waller has built a global team of 10 people and cultivated a strong presence on Instagram, boasting 141,000 followers on his business and 84,000 followers on his personal account. The momentum continued, with her sourcing business’ profits increasing by more than 305% from 2022 to 2024.

Although Waller and her team do an incredible job of sourcing elusive and hard-to-find items, and even ensuring access to the products before they hit the shelves or are distributed online. , the process behind its magic is anything but glamorous. In fact, it is labor intensive and highly manual.

The team now juggles up to six different platforms, including Instagram DM, Asana, Excel, WhatsApp, Xero, and Monday.com, to manage everything from client requests to product protection to invoicing. This cross-platform system creates inefficiencies, and some requests inevitably fall through the cracks.

Over a year ago, she had a lightbulb moment that led to Sourced By. What if you could create an all-in-one platform that centralizes every aspect of your procurement process? The real magic is the AI ​​functionality that helps recognize items uploaded to the system.

To realize his vision, Waller has appointed Scott Davis as chief technology officer. A founding engineer at StockX, Davis has a strong track record of developing marketplace platforms and leveraging AI to drive innovation. He has also made significant contributions to global giants such as Google and Snapchat, as well as startups such as Sandbox VR.

During his tenure as Director of Software Engineering at StockX, Davis was instrumental in propelling the platform to the premier market for luxury goods.

Davis draws compelling parallels between StockX and Sourced By, highlighting the synergies of working with Waller.

“StockX and Sourced By both tap into the universal thrill of the hunt, the emotional connection that occurs when you find something rare or unique,” ​​says Davis. “Sourced By is redefining how we connect with the luxury goods we’ve long dreamed of but never found, whether it’s that elusive handbag or the perfect pair of sneakers. By leveraging our expertise to streamline the procurement process, we meet our clients where they are and deliver truly personalized experiences at scale.”

Sourced By uses AI, developed in partnership with Headstart, to streamline backend operations like logging requests, managing orders, and invoicing, but the platform is at the heart of the sourcing experience. We are firmly committed to maintaining human connection. “The AI ​​never comes into contact with the client,” Waller emphasizes. “Sourcing is a one-to-one relationship with personalization. Our technology exists to enhance those connections, not replace them.”

After all, the joy of finding a sold-out handbag or the perfect pair of sneakers is a very personal experience.

“By combining cutting-edge technology and human expertise, we bridge the gap between desire and discovery, making the impossible not only possible but also easy to find. ” adds Davis.

The Sourced By team is ready to “find more” (the platform’s tagline). Currently, Waller estimates she is fulfilling about 30 percent of the requests she receives. With Sourced By, she believes that number can reach 100%.

Sure, “looking for more” means discovery, but its meaning is much deeper. The platform is designed to help Waller’s team and other fashion purveyors unlock new opportunities, while fostering stronger connections through relationship building.

“The whole personal shopping and fashion sourcing experience becomes an element of personalization. Currently, we spend so much time manually logging requests and are so ‘in the weeds’ that we can’t connect. is frequently lost. In some ways, we lost sight of what was important: connecting with our clients,” says Waller.

Waller’s experience convinced her first investor, Emil Tal of Pentas Ventures, to join her.

Waller is often asked why she didn’t book a dedicated platform for her eponymous procurement company, Gabe Waller.

Waller isn’t just building a platform for his own business, he’s creating tools to empower the entire fashion sourcing industry. This stems from her belief that her success can pave the way for others.

“If I stand up, I want you to stand up with me. I feel a responsibility to support the industry I started and provide tools to help others grow and expand their businesses,” Waller said. explains.

There’s no gatekeeping here.

Waller envisions SourcedBy’s technology being white-labeled into other industries, extending its impact beyond fashion.

There are huge opportunities in the fashion industry alone. According to Bain, the personal luxury goods market is expected to grow from €540 billion to €580 billion by 2030. Pentas Ventures estimates that fashion sourcing makes up an estimated 5% of the industry.

The potential and necessity of AI also cannot be ignored. According to MMGNET and The Interline’s 2025 Fashion and Technology Report, the biggest opportunity fashion professionals see in 2025 is exploring new horizons opened up by artificial intelligence (AI). Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

Waller’s influence was recently recognized when she was named in the “Leaders” category of Glossy’s “50 People Shaping Fashion and Beauty 2024” list. With the highly anticipated launch of Sourced By in Q1 2025, Waller is solidifying his position not only as a fashion innovator, but also as a technology pioneer. This reputation will be further strengthened in January by his appearance as a panelist at CES, the ultimate platform for technology thought leadership.

Sourced By is more than just a platform, it’s a movement.

Waller revolutionized luxury fashion by making “sold out” products available to everyone. Now, at Sourced By, we’re breaking new ground by making sourcing a viable and accessible career path. Her dedication to accessibility, innovation, and relationships is setting bold new standards for the industry.

“My dream is that one day young people will say, ‘I want to be a fashion provider,’ just like they want to be a stylist or a designer,” says Waller. “This industry has a lot of potential and I’m passionate about unlocking it. This is much bigger than me.”