Rent the Runway taps designer, e-commerce founder for C-suite role
Online fashion retailer Rent the Runway has added a well-known designer and tech entrepreneur to its C-suite.
Bradford Shellhammer will join the company as chief product officer, effective Oct. 29. In his new role, Shellhammer will oversee Rent the Runway's product strategy and innovation, focusing on the brand’s sustainability initiatives, subscription-based programs and customer experiences. He will lead the product management, user experience and design teams at Rent the Runway.
Bradford is known for co-founding the e-commerce companies Fab and Bezar, along with the LGBTQ blog Queerty. Most recently, he has served as chief product officer at online musical instrument marketplace Reverb since June of 2022. Before that, he spent more than six years at eBay in a variety of roles.
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“I met Bradford 15 years ago as we were both beginning our journeys in the burgeoning NYC tech scene as mission-driven (yet very green) founders,” said Jennifer Hyman, CEO and co-founder of Rent the Runway. “To have the opportunity to work with a three-time founder-turned-product leader who is so visionary, design-centered and puts the customer at the heart of everything, is an honor. I look forward to Bradford innovating our customer experiences so that we can continue to significantly evolve and expand our platform.”
Given his tech background, Shellhammer will also collaborate closely with the technology, marketing and data science teams at Rent the Runway to support initiatives that leverage artificial intelligence, personalization, social commerce and sustainability innovations.
“I am excited to join Rent the Runway at such a pivotal moment in its journey and I am thrilled to return to work at the intersection of my two passions: fashion and technology,” said Shellhammer. “I believe that the company's unique platform and passionate customer base offer incredible opportunities to innovate and redefine fashion consumption. I look forward to working with the talented teams at Rent the Runway to continue enhancing the customer experience and expanding our impact in the fashion industry.”
Rent the Runway was founded in 2009 with the vision to give women an “endless closet” instead of purchasing a dress for a specific event to only wear it once. The online retailer has previously partnered with Amazon and Saks Off 5th for online sales.
