The Empty District

Imah’s perspective was shaped early. Long before he was invited to the Met Gala as the first AI fashion CEO to attend, he was a nerdy kid growing up in Texas, taking apart his first computer just to understand how it worked. “The seven-year-old kid who took apart his first computer would die to be in this position,” he says. In a state better known for football and bravado, technology became a place of focus and possibility.

Fashion entered later, first through his mother, a devoted fashionista who dressed up for everything from church to Goodwill runs, and eventually as a way for Imah to define himself. Clothes became a form of expression that arrived before words.

There isn’t much room for romance in his life right now. Imah isn’t on dating apps, and he doesn’t draw a clear line between work and personal time. As a bachelor, the company occupies that space for John. John Imah jokingly mentions that SPREEAI is his girlfriend for now. This is the phase he’s in, marked by momentum and intention. Just like Goku.

“What I’ve realized over time is that all of those stories have a common theme,” he says. “One individual whose back is against the wall, who has to push through challenges and keep leveling up.” For Imah, progress isn’t sudden or spectacular. It’s earned slowly, through repetition, sacrifice, and belief in the eventual rise. 

We caught up with him to talk about his fashion AI journey and how SPREE is gonna be different.

Cotton jacket with panel detailing & pants MOOHONG

White shirt BURBERRY

Cotton socks UNIQLO

Loafers BSTORE

Left: Red velvet GG shirt & flared trousers GUCCI

Patent leather shoes BALENCIAGA.                         

Right: Plush cotton terry bathrobe & slippers LE RITZ

Silk shirt AMBUSH

White shirt A.A.SPECTRUM

White socks UNIQLO

You’re from Texas, and I’m from Texas too. I feel like a lot of the best creatives come from there. What about being born and raised in Texas do you think influenced your path to where you are today?

When I was growing up in Texas, I was a very nerdy kid. At the time, Texas wasn’t really known for technology. It was known for sports — the Dallas Cowboys, America’s team — and things like agriculture, food, barbecue.

I naturally gravitated toward tech, which was the opposite of what Texas was known for. In a lot of ways, it was hard for me to be influenced by Texas because I felt so different from it. A lot of my friends back then were online, and if you say that now people don’t care, but if you said that 10 or 20 years ago, people were like, “Damn, you need to go touch grass.”

Those friends were the ones telling me, “You need to move to San Francisco. That’s where startups like Google and Facebook are. That’s where you’re supposed to be.”

At the same time, I think what really influenced me about Texas is that I still carry that Southern hospitality. It doesn’t matter if you’re the janitor, the president, or whoever. I treat everyone with the same respect. If I see someone, I say hi. There’s a certain etiquette to it.

Sometimes that doesn’t translate as well on the East Coast or in California, because people don’t always want to be bothered by a stranger, but that part of me has never gone away.

I’ve seen so many fashion-tech companies pop up over the past near-decade that never really go anywhere. What do you think makes SPREEAI different in terms of longevity and real impact?

I’ve worked in tech my whole life. I was an executive at Amazon, Twitch — which was acquired by Amazon — as well as Meta and Snapchat.

I would actually slightly reframe what you said. What I’ve seen in the industry is a lot of tech companies that try to focus on fashion. They build a product and then go out and say, “Hey, here’s this new thing we made.” But the problem is, they don’t necessarily understand fashion.

SPREE is a fashion-tech company, but we’re fashion first. We look at fashion as art, and we respect the culture. Before we even started building the product, I went to Europe and met with prominent executives, especially in the luxury space. I sat down with them and asked, “If I were to build something, what would you actually need? What gaps and pain points are you dealing with that tech hasn’t solved?”

Most tech companies build first and then go find customers. I wanted to reverse that. I also wanted to make sure we were perceived as the good guys in tech. Tech can get a bad reputation when it comes to things like data and privacy, so it was important to me that brands felt good about working with us — that it felt like a truly symbiotic relationship, where we’re building something hand in hand that’s tailored specifically for them.

It’s worked very well. We can’t name names, but we’ve penetrated the space across luxury, fast fashion, and leisurewear. It’s even garnered attention from organizations like the CFDA and Vogue. I was invited to the Met Gala as the first AI fashion CEO to attend.

Fashion is a very traditional industry. It’s all about perception and relationships. I would even go as far as to say it doesn’t matter if you have a great product — if you don’t have a great relationship, it’s not going anywhere. That’s why we focus on relationships first.

That humanity aspect feels crucial, especially as fashion and technology keep colliding.

I agree. A lot of what you’re describing comes back to personalized experiences — whether that’s in-store, online, or somewhere in between. Good entrepreneurs solve problems; they don’t create them. They also respect the space they’re entering.

When I was building this company, I spent time in department stores talking to people, watching what sales associates actually do, and asking, “How can I make this better?” — not “How do I get rid of them?” AI is coming, robots are coming, but that doesn’t mean people should disappear. The question is how we accelerate and enhance what already exists.

If you look at the evolution of something like a vehicle, it started with a horse, then moved to a car, and now we’re heading toward autonomous vehicles. But it’s still a vehicle — it still gets you from point A to point B. Or take TVs: first there was a knob, then a remote, then voice control. Those are additive experiences, not destructive ones.

That’s how I think about fashion technology. I don’t want SPREE to be perceived as something people should fear. You hear it all the time at the Oscars or the Grammys — “AI is going to replace me.” That’s not what we’re doing. We want to be seen as the good guys, creating technology that improves the experience that already exists today.

Cotton jacket with panel detailing & pants MOOHONG

White shirt BURBERRY

Cotton socks UNIQLO

Loafers BSTORE

There’s a responsibility aspect to all of this. People are scared of AI, they don’t trust it, and there’s a lot of bias against it. Once AI systems start shaping how millions of people see themselves in clothing, that’s real power. How do you think about that responsibility at scale?

It’s a huge responsibility. If we talk about change in general, human beings are not very receptive to it. A friend of a friend of mine is close to the founder of Uber, and he told me that when they were first starting out, people would say, “Why would I get in a car with a stranger?”

But then you ask, “What’s a taxi?” It’s still a stranger — you’ve just already crossed that psychological threshold. Once that fear is surpassed, it becomes an afterthought.

When people think about technology and AI, a lot of the imagery they have comes from Hollywood and the content they’ve consumed. When people think about robots, they think about violent robots — The Terminator. When they think about AI, they think about destruction.

Because of that, how we show up really matters. When we go out into the field to talk to partners, our pitch and our presentation are incredibly intentional. Most tech companies walk into a room wearing a hoodie with their logo on it. If I’m meeting with a partner, I’m wearing their clothing from head to toe. It’s not a flex — it’s about showing respect and making it clear that their garments are art to me.

Another thing that changed everything was going to a fashion show. It was a Chanel show a few years ago, where I had this realization that we were doing it wrong. I went back to the drawing board with my team, and now when we pitch partners, we sometimes fly out models and treat the pitch like a fashion show. We walk through the technology, and we already know the questions they’re going to ask: How does it work? Why is it better? How does it impact my business? What about data privacy?

Then the models come out and actually use the technology. It’s received better because that’s what the fashion world understands. Fashion is such a visual space, so the information has to be presented visually.

There’s also an education component. Anytime you introduce new technology, people are going to form their own assumptions if you don’t explain it clearly. Most startups don’t hire someone focused on data and privacy early on — that’s usually an afterthought, once something goes wrong. We hired a head of data and privacy right away, and in some cases we even bring them into meetings. We also put out content and educational materials so people actually understand what we’re doing.

We want to control the narrative instead of letting people create one in their heads that isn’t true. A lot of people look at tech at a macro level — based on every experience they’ve ever had — rather than looking at SPREE specifically. Our job is to make sure they’re informed.

Going back to growing up in Texas — you mentioned you were a pretty nerdy kid. What was your relationship with fashion back then? What were you wearing?

My relationship with fashion actually starts with my mother. Before she passed away, she was a huge fashionista. It didn’t matter where we were going — the grocery store, Goodwill to donate clothes, church. She was always dressed up. She was fly as hell.

Because of that, I hated it at first. You know how it is with parents. I wouldn’t say she forced fashion on me, but it felt very obtrusive. I was like, “This is too much.”

It wasn’t until I got to high school that I started thinking, Okay, I kind of like this fashion thing. Part of it was because I looked like a nerd. I was skinny, probably under 100 pounds, had a big alien head, and I sounded like a nerd too.

Fashion became a way for me to stand out. In a lot of ways, fashion is like art. It’s like an ad. When people see you from far away, they’re visually taking in what you’re wearing. Then once they get closer and talk to you, they’re like, “Okay, wow, this guy actually sounds interesting.”

I loved that fashion allowed me to express myself before I even opened my mouth. It confused people. They’d see me wearing Dior or whatever and assume I was an actor or something. Then I’d start talking, and they’d realize, Wait, I’ve never really met someone who’s fashionable but also in tech.

That became part of my identity all the way through my corporate career at Meta, Snapchat, and beyond. People associated me as someone who was very smart, but also very fashionable.

As someone who used fashion that way, what’s something about fashion that AI still can’t — and maybe shouldn’t — solve?

The art of fashion. AI can create certain things, but there’s a human element that always needs to be present. Fashion shouldn’t be built by AI or robots alone. What makes fashion meaningful is that brands are typically founded by an individual, and you’re wearing that person’s name across your chest.

That person has spent years perfecting their craft, and that should never be taken away. AI can absolutely be an additive experience. Designers and creatives can use it to enhance what they’re already doing, but it shouldn’t be the sole focus or do everything for you. That’s when things start to get lost.

It’s the same with tools like ChatGPT or Gemini. Right now, they’re designed based on your input. Eventually they’ll become more advanced and start learning about you, even communicating back. But there has to be balance. You still want people to use their brains.

If you rely entirely on AI, you start losing that muscle. Suddenly you’re like, “Wait, what is two plus two?” because you never had to think about it. I look at fashion the same way. It still needs to be human-driven, just supported by AI.

What kind of feedback have you heard from shoppers so far? Has anything surprised you about how people want to use the technology?

When I first took a trip to Europe, I assumed our technology would live mostly online. That’s where the data points — especially with Gen Z and the generations behind them — seemed to suggest everything was heading.

But the moment I landed, almost every luxury house told me the same thing: online is important, but they don’t want to get rid of physical stores. If you’ve ever been to Europe, you really feel that. You’ll see the same store on multiple blocks.

As I dug deeper, a lot of them explained that when people walk into a store, they usually don’t know exactly what they want. It’s the sales associate’s job to guide them. Someone might come in thinking they’re buying a T-shirt and leave with shoes and jeans. That’s very hard to replicate online.

So the feedback became clear: this technology needs to work online, in-store, and for VICs — very important clients. Those are the customers who spend heavily at fashion houses, where associates might come to your home, send garments, or even stage private showings.

Left: Short cotton trench coat & grey baggy jeans DIESEL

Cashmere knit jacket GODS TRUE CASHMERE

Leather loafers ACNE STUDIO

RIght: Poncho PUCCI

Layered shirts CEM CENA

Flared trousers ACNE STUDIOS

Leather ankle boots ALEXANDER MC QUEEN

How do those three experiences — online, in-store, and VIC — actually differ?

The online part was fairly straightforward. We needed to create a personalized experience that feels like a department store — solving visualization and sizing. Most people have ordered something online and gotten the wrong size. The goal is to create a universal size.

Once you input your height, weight, and upload a photo, that information follows you across every brand using our technology. Whether you’re shopping at fashion house A, B, or C, we’ll tell you, this is your size.

We can even go further and show you variations — what it looks like in a tighter fit versus a looser fit.

In-store, the goal is to empower sales associates. Most associates already use iPads or devices to look up SKUs. With our technology, they can take a photo and say, “Here are five T-shirts,” and show you what each one looks like on you. From there, you might decide to physically try on only two.

We’re not removing the sales associate. We’re making their job easier. You still try on clothes; you just narrow things down faster.

With VICs, it’s similar. Normally, an associate texts you 10 or 20 photos from a new collection. In our case, you’re seeing yourself in every garment. You might look at 20 pieces and say, “I want three,” and then they’ll bring those to you or you’ll visit the store. At every level, we’re just making it easier for people to do what they already do.

Where is SPREE right now in terms of rollout and timeline?

Brands integrate our technology online, in-store, and for VICs. If your favorite brand partnered with SPREE, you’d go to their website, click on a garment, and see a “try on” button. You could upload a photo or use a preset model that looks like you, and immediately see yourself in the garment, in your size.

In-store, you could either use the brand’s device or your own phone. Maybe you don’t have time to try something on, but you still want to see how it looks before committing. Most brands are currently in what we call testing or sandbox mode. They have access to the technology offline, upload garments, and experiment with how it works. It’s not just about the tech. It’s also a marketing shift.

This is really e-commerce 2.0 or 3.0. You could be watching a commercial, scan a QR code, and immediately see yourself in what you just watched. That fundamentally changes how people shop.

You’re pretty unique as a fashion-tech CEO. You’re actually living inside the fashion world. When you get dressed now, do you feel like a founder, a creative director, or just yourself?

It’s a hybrid of everything. I thought my fashion game peaked in high school, but this is a whole different level. I’m picking out multiple outfits a day — for shows, meetings, different environments — and I genuinely love it.

Fashion is a form of expression. Most CEOs have a uniform — a suit or something that signals, I’m a CEO. I like to turn it up a notch visually. And it’s been well received.

When you’re a founder or CEO, you are your own brand. A lot of tech companies in fashion don’t really live it. I actually live it. If I weren’t doing Spree, I’d still be dressing this way. People in the industry recognize that — creative directors, partners, people like Anna Wintour. They see that I’m not trying to obstruct the industry. I’m trying to make it better.

Do you mix high and low? Would people be surprised by what you actually wear day to day?

Definitely. Some of my go-to brands are Amazon and ASOS. I like clean pieces without logos. Not everything I wear is luxury. What I’m wearing right now is from Amazon. It’s comfortable, it feels good, and it works.

Because we work with so many brands, sometimes I’ll lean into a full look out of respect. But most of the time, we’re mixing and matching. I have a great team, work with stylists, and we’re always thinking about how to elevate a look without it being one brand head to toe.

You can throw some Walmart in there, some Amazon, mix in other pieces. It’s like a pot of ingredients that comes together to form your style.

Looped coat JEANNE FRIOT

White shirt BURBERRY

Zip-detail trousers CASABLANCA

Cotton socks UNIQLO

What’s it like being a bachelor while running a company like this? 

I don’t think there really is a balance, honestly. As a founder, your work becomes your personal life. It’s your baby. And in many ways, as a bachelor, it kind of becomes your girlfriend. Or your right-hand partner.

In the early days especially, it’s extremely demanding. What people don’t see — because social media only shows milestones and the glorified moments — is that behind the scenes, there’s a fire every single day. The size of the fire changes, but there’s always something you’re dealing with. That constant focus takes away from personal time.

I’m not saying I couldn’t be with someone. Ultimately, that’s the goal. But it takes a very specific type of person to be with a founder or an entrepreneur, knowing how demanding it is. It’s similar to being with an athlete — constant travel, nonstop schedules — but I’d argue being a founder or CEO is even more intense. You’re not just traveling; you’re in meetings all day, putting out fires, acting as the spokesperson, being the brand. You’re wearing multiple hats at all times.

So yes, I want to settle down eventually. But right now, my focus is on my baby, which is SPREE.

Are you dating at all? On Raya or anything like that?

No, I don’t do dating apps. I’m not currently dating. I’m kind of old-fashioned, and I believe it’ll happen when it happens. For now, my focus is really just on SPREE, and that’s okay.

What’s your screen time like?

It’s nonstop. Honestly, it’s really bad. I get about three hours of sleep every night. I go to bed around midnight, wake up at three, and I’m at the gym by 3:30 or 4:00. Then my day starts, because I have an international team.

I know that sounds abnormal to most people, but if you talk to founders — especially those who’ve built very successful companies — they get it. When I tell them this, they’ll say, “Oh, I’ve been there.” They might get more sleep now because they’ve IPO’d or have thousands of employees, but in the beginning, it’s sacrifice. You really have to lock in.

The thing is, I don’t see what I’m doing as work. I love fashion, and I love technology. Every day feels like a blessing. The seven-year-old kid who took apart his first computer would die to be in this position. This is what I always wanted.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t taxing. You don’t have much of a personal life, and people don’t really talk about how lonely it can be being a founder or CEO, especially when you have so many people depending on you to make this work. There’s pressure in that. But I know it’ll pay off. Right now, I’m just in grind mode.

How do you decompress, if at all?

The gym is huge for me, both physically and mentally. I also read a lot. I love researching; I think of myself as a bit of a scholar in that way.

I don’t really watch TV, but I’ll have things playing in the background. I love anime — Dragon Ball Z is my go-to, along with Naruto. I also love Star Wars.

What I’ve realized over time is that all of those stories have a common theme: one individual whose back is against the wall, who has to push through challenges and keep leveling up. If you watch Dragon Ball Z, Goku isn’t the typical Saiyan. He has to train harder, sacrifice more, and eventually he ascends.

I look at my life the same way. There’s sacrifice, there’s training, and eventually it pays off. One day my hair turns gold, and I ascend. I become Super Saiyan. I feel like I’m in that Super Saiyan phase right now, and all I can do is keep moving forward.