Unconventional in their approaches, this powerful group of retailers redefines the idea of what it means to sell shoes.
Here are the most innovative retailers.
See who else made the FN Power List 2019:
• The Dramatic Makeover
• The Independents
• The Tastemakers
• The Dynasties
• On the Rise
• The Guiding Forces
• The Conversation Starters
• The Design Stars
• The Retail Innovators
• The Shoe Dogs
• The Business Titans
• The Influentials
Manish Chandra, 52
Co-Founder & CEO, Poshmark
Though the resale marketplace opted to delay its IPO filing until 2020, it still had plenty of wins. Tennis phenom Serena Williams joined its board in February, and the site hit the elusive unicorn status in the spring with a reported $1.25 billion valuation. It also entered the home goods market and has racked up 50 million registered users.
Key Exec: Tracy Sun
Eva Chen, 40
Director of Fashion Partnerships, Instagram
Instagram has fashion in its roots, and Chen is still the influencer who can effortlessly bridge the gap between fashion and technology. When she puts on a brand’s shoes, they’re going to be noticed. Chen, a book author and former magazine editor, inspires and motivates fashion companies and designers, as well as the average consumer, to show off what they love in compelling ways online.
Watch on FN
Scott Cutler, 50, CEO
Josh Luber, 41, Co-Founder
StockX
When StockX named Cutler CEO in June, the “stock market of things” also revealed it received $110 million in Series C funding. Since then, it added its first CMO (Deena Bahri), opened its fifth authentication center in Eindhoven, Netherlands, and launched a new vertical: Collectibles.
Fiona Greiner, 53, CFO
Tom Athron, 48, COO
MatchesFashion
MatchesFashion is on the hunt for a new CEO after Ulric Jerome’s departure earlier this year, with Greiner and Athron leading in the interim. Amid the search, the e-tailer launched its first brand campaign in September, starring Christy Turlington.
Jennifer Hyman, 39
CEO, Rent the Runway
Under Hyman, the fashion and logistics pioneer has continuously shown there’s an appetite in the market for clothing and accessory rentals, evident from its more than 76 million subscribers. The company received a $125 million capital infusion from several investment firms in March and has a value of over $1 billion — showing that the fashion-share market is strong, so strong that Rent the Runway opened a San Francisco flagship store in May.
Key Exec: Maureen Sullivan
Michael Mente, 39, and Mike Karanikolas, 41
Co-CEOs & Co-Founders, Revolve
Under their leadership, the Los-Angeles based retailer, known for connecting with millennial and Gen-Z consumers through social media and influencer marketing, went public in June. In its first day of trading, Revolve’s share price rose nearly 90% above its IPO of $18.
José Neves, 45
Founder & CEO, Farfetch
The Portuguese entrepreneur briefly entered the billionaire ranks when fashion unicorn Farfetch reached a share price of $24.50 in February. The company has also had a tumultuous few months on the stock market, marked by its ambitious $675 million purchase of Off White-owned New Guards Group.
James Reinhart, 40
Co-Founder & CE0, ThredUp
The new darling of the fashion industry inked partnerships with Macy’s, JCPenney and Madewell, and raised $175 million in venture capital in August, bringing its total funding to over $306 million. On its own site, ThredUp continues to attract new customers, and the startup is on pace to process 100 million items by year-end.
Key Execs: Anthony Marino, Allison Hopkins, Karen Clark
Julie Wainwright, 62
Founder & CEO, TheRealReal
Wainwright’s firm proved to critics that the fast-growing consignment sector is here to stay when it became the first resaler to go public in June, raising $300 million. In the most recent quarter, sales popped 51% to $71 million. With three stores in L.A. and New York and 11 “luxury consignment offices” across the country, this retail disruptor could eventually eclipse its department store counterparts. Growth in international sales and brick-and-mortar are future objectives.
Key Execs: Rati Levesque, Fredrik Bjork
Marc Jacobs, 56
Co-founder & Creative Director, Marc Jacobs International
Thirty-three years after founding his eponymous label, Marc Jacobs received MTV’s first Fashion Trailblazer Award — a fitting honor considering he has worked with iconoclasts like Lady Gaga, Missy Elliot, Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj. For next spring, Jacobs will release a collection marked by his signature whimsy and platforms.
