Áslaug Magnúsdóttir Explained

Áslaug Magnúsdóttir
Birth Place:Reykjavík, Iceland
Occupation:Founder of Katla, Co-Founder of Moda Operandi, TSM Capital, Tinker Tailor
Alma Mater:University of Iceland (Candidate of Law)
Duke University School of Law (LL.M.)
Harvard Business School (MBA)

Áslaug Magnúsdóttir is an Icelandic[1] businesswoman and entrepreneur.[2] Áslaug is the founder of Katla.[3] She is the co-founder[4] and former[5] chief executive officer of Moda Operandi[6] and a co-founder of TSM Capital.[7] She has been dubbed "fashion's fairy godmother" by Vogue[8] and one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company.[9]

A Fulbright scholar,[10] Áslaug holds an MBA from Harvard Business School,[11] an LL.M from Duke University School of Law[12] and a Candidate of Law degree from the University of Iceland.

Family and education

Áslaug Magnúsdóttir was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, to parents Magnús Sigurðsson and Rakel Valdimarsdóttir. She has one brother, Sigurður R. Magnússon. Áslaug grew up in Los Angeles and Reykjavík[13] and attended college at the University of Iceland, where she graduated in 1993 with a degree in law.[14] She received a Fulbright scholarship and returned to the U.S. to attend the LL.M program at Duke University. She then earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 2000, the first Icelandic woman to do so.

From 1993–2000, Áslaug was married to Gunnar Thoroddsen, a lawyer and former CEO of Landsbanki bank in Luxembourg.[15] Gunnar is the grandson of Iceland's former Prime Minister Gunnar Thoroddsen, and the great grandson of Iceland's second President, Ásgeir Ásgeirsson. Together they have a son, Gunnar A. Thoroddsen, guitar player of Great Grief. From 2005-2015, Áslaug was married to nightclub owner [16] Gabriel Levy. In 2022, she married tech entrepreneur Sacha Tueni. Their son is Ocean Thor Tueni.

Career

Áslaug began her career in Iceland, where as a student she headed a modeling agency and was chairman of the National Ballet Company of Iceland, and then became a corporate and tax attorney at Deloitte. After completing her graduate studies, she moved to London, where she was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company.

Fashion career

Áslaug first became involved in the fashion industry while helping to run a modeling agency during college. She started her professional career in fashion at Baugur Group, an investment company focused on the fashion and retail sectors.[17] During her time at Baugur, Aslaug spearheaded a number of investments in early-stage fashion brands.

In 2006, Áslaug relocated from London to New York and joined Marvin Traub Associates as a Vice President. In 2007, she partnered with Traub, the former CEO of Bloomingdale's, to form an investment company, TSM Capital, which invested in designer brands such as Rachel Roy[18] and Matthew Williamson. She later worked with actor and jewelry designer Waris Ahluwalia as President of his label, House of Waris Fine Jewelry. In 2009, Áslaug joined Gilt Groupe to head merchandising for Gilt Noir.[19]

In 2009, Áslaug came up with the idea for Moda Operandi, a "pre-tailer" that lets consumers pre-order items directly from the runway.[20] She shared the concept with Lauren Santo Domingo, and, together, they co-founded the company.[21]

Áslaug left Moda Operandi in May 2013 after raising $36 million in a Series C round of funding from venture capital firms. With Matthew Pavelle, Gabriel Levy and Cleo Davis-Urman,[22] she co-founded Tinker Tailor, a business that let consumers customize designer clothing or design their own.[23] Tinker Tailor ceased operations in 2015.[24]

In 2020, Áslaug launched Katla, a business focused on sustainable practices in the fashion industry. In 2022, Áslaug was named Goodwill Ambassador for Fashion 4 Development,[25] an organization established to support the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in cooperation with the office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon[26]

Awards and recognitions

Notes and References

  1. News: Novellino. Teresa. Moda Operandi Found Power in Being First . December 11, 2012. The Business Journals. April 14, 2013.
  2. News: MacBride. Elizabeth. Women Entrepreneurs Smash an Old Barrier . September 9, 2012. Crain Communications. April 14, 2013.
  3. Roshitsh. Kaley. Áslaug Magnúsdóttir Returns to Fashion With Katla. January 27, 2020. Women's Wear Daily. February 8, 2020.
  4. Bourne. Leah. The Startup That Changed How Women Buy $10,000 Gowns. February 29, 2012. Forbes. April 14, 2013.
  5. News: Wang. Lisa. Co-Founder and CEO Áslaug Magnúsdóttir Leaves Moda Operandi. May 18, 2013. Business of Fashion. May 18, 2013.
  6. Web site: Aslaug Magnusdottir. The Coveteur. April 14, 2013.
  7. Karimzadeh. Marc. New Traub-Led Group Invests in Williamson. August 28, 2007. Women's Wear Daily. April 14, 2013.
  8. Barnett. Leisa. Fashion's Fairy Godmother . September 4, 2007. Vogue (British magazine). April 14, 2013.
  9. News: The 100 Most Creative People in Business 2012. June 2012. Fast Company. April 14, 2013.
  10. News: Bloomberg Empowered Entrpereneur . https://web.archive.org/web/20140715023326/http://archive.bloomberglink.com/gatherings_participants_bio.php?gathering=91&Id=1709 . dead . July 15, 2014 . April 14, 2011 . . April 14, 2013 .
  11. News: Kutz. Erin. Are Fashion Tech Startups the Latest HBS Tribe?. March 5, 2012. Harvard Business School. April 14, 2013.
  12. News: Buher. Bridget. Life's Broad Sea: Biological Conservation; Prosecuting Insider Trading; Ordering Designer Clothes . October 2, 2012. Duke University. April 14, 2013.
  13. News: Suzanne Weinstock . Klein . Aslaug Magnúsdóttir On Leaving Moda Operandi and Re-Inventing the Fashion Business . . September 12, 2014 . October 2, 2018 .
  14. News: Pétur Blöndal . Tíska er fjárfesting . Morgunblaðið . December 30, 2007 . October 2, 2018 . Icelandic .
  15. News: New CEO at Landsbanki Luxembourg S.A. . June 22, 2004 . Nordic Exchange . October 27, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029202350/http://news.icex.is/newsservice/MMIcexNSWeb.dll/newspage?language=en&pagetype=symbolnewslist&primarylanguagecode=en&newsnumber=28767 . October 29, 2013 .
  16. Betker . Ally . Rumpus Room,New York Fashion Week´s Newest Watering Hole. September 7, 2015. Women's Wear Daily. July 23, 2019.
  17. Moin. David. Traub Hire Broadens Fashion Scope . December 28, 2006. Women's Wear Daily. April 14, 2013.
  18. Karimzadeh. Marc . A New Designer Deal: TSM Capital Acquires Stake in Rachel Roy. November 13, 2007. Women's Wear Daily. April 14, 2013.
  19. News: Binkley. Christina. A Faster Trip From Runway to Shopping Cart. December 1, 2010. Wall Street Journal. April 14, 2013.
  20. Web site: Shontell. Alyson. The Silicon Alley 100:The Coolest People in New York Tech This Year. October 25, 2012. Business Insider. April 14, 2013.
  21. News: Drell. Lauren. 44 Female Founders Every Entrepreneur Should Know . August 6, 2012. Mashable. April 14, 2013.
  22. News: The Founders. Tinker Tailor. July 13, 2014.
  23. Kamm. Jennifer. Tinker Tailor Lets Users Customize Designer Dresses -- Or Design Their Own. July 11, 2014. Forbes. July 13, 2014.
  24. Strugatz. Rachel. Tinker Tailor to Close. WWD.
  25. News: Donaldson. Tara. Katla’s Plans for New Role as Fashion 4 Development’s Goodwill Ambassador? Give Fashion a New Business Model. September 21, 2022. WWD.
  26. News: Fashion 4 Development To Convene Heads Of UN Delegations, First Ladies, Ambassadors, And VIPs For United Nations General Assembly Week. September 2022. New York Style Guide.
  27. News: Guðný Hrönn . Áslaug Magnúsdóttir á valdamesta listanum . . October 5, 2014 . October 2, 2018 . Icelandic .
  28. Web site: BOF 500 The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry in 2014. October 27, 2014.
  29. Web site: One To World . May 20, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140501102214/http://www.one-to-world.org/content/view/139/209 . May 1, 2014 .
  30. 10 Game Changers of 2012. January 2013. Harper's Bazaar. April 14, 2013.
  31. Chafkin. Max. The Next Establishment . September 7, 2012. Vanity Fair. April 14, 2013.
  32. News: Alforb. Lolita. Fashinvest Awards Aslaug Magnusdottir of Moda Operandi with "Fashpreneur Award" at Annual Capital Conference. December 12, 2012. Fashinvest. April 14, 2013. September 19, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130919213616/http://www.fashinvest.com/fashinvest-awards-aslaug-magnusdottir-moda-operandi-fashpreneur-award-annual-capital-conference/. dead.
  33. Drapers Top 100 . Drapers. December 9, 2006 . Insert.

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