United States
Áslaug Magnúsdóttir is a serial entrepreneur working at the intersection of fashion, technology, sustainability, and luxury development. She is best known as the founding CEO of Moda Operandi, the fashion-tech platform that brought runway collections directly to consumers. Under her leadership, the company raised more than $50 million across Series A, B, and C rounds from investors including LVMH, NEA, Condé Nast, and IMG, partnered with over 300 luxury brands, and grew a global customer base in more than 100 countries. Beyond Moda Operandi, Áslaug co-founded TSM Capital alongside industry icon Marvin Traub, investing in designers such as Matthew Williamson and Rachel Roy. She also co-founded Tinker Tailor, the first-of-its-kind 3D rendering platform for customized fashion, which was recognized by Fast Company as one of the “Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Style.” She later launched Katla, a sustainable fashion brand focused on zero-waste, on-demand production and regenerative materials, earning recognition from the United Nations for its approach to responsible fashion. Her experience also spans luxury real estate, hospitality, and regenerative development. She has worked on projects ranging from Marvin Traub Associates’ global retail initiatives to the Six Senses Össurá Valley resort in Iceland and the Sleepy Islands hospitality and conservation project. She continues to advise and invest in early-stage companies across fashion tech, consumer brands, blockchain, and AI. A Fulbright Scholar, Áslaug holds an LL.M. from Duke Law School, an MBA from Harvard Business School—where she became the first Icelandic woman to graduate—and a law degree from the University of Iceland. She has lived and worked across the US, Europe, and the Middle East, with Iceland remaining the foundation of her work and her commitment to sustainability, innovation, and responsible entrepreneurship. In 2022, Áslaug was named a Goodwill Ambassador for Fashion 4 Development, an organization created to support the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in cooperation with the Office of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. She has been included in the BoF 500 as well as Fast Company’s list of the 100 Most Creative People in Business.
We’re building the AI Fashion Designer for creators — software that turns ideas into manufacturable garments and routes them directly into on-demand production. Turning digital fashion into real garments at scale.
Launched Katla to help create a new blueprint for the fashion industry, based on on-demand (zero waste) manufacturing practices, the use of regenerative materials (including seaweed) and complete supply chain transparency. Katla is one of a small group of companies included in a United Nations (UN/ ITC) project focused on redefining the relationship between brands and suppliers. Katla received the Fashion 4 Development Award for sustainable practices within the industry. Fashion 4 Development was created in collaboration with the office of the UN Secretary General to support the UN sustainability goals. Regular speaker on the topic of eco-friendly practices within the fashion industry and the role of Web 3.0 in fashion including at WebSummit, WWD Sustainability Forum, CogX, Human Kind Institute, Sourcing Journal Sustainability Summit, Nest Summit and more. Featured in major business and consumer publications including Vogue, Elle, WWD, Fashionista, Business of Fashion, Sourcing Journal, Vanity Fair, The Observer, Forbes, Glamour, Fashionista, Glossy and WhoWhatWear.
Came up with the concept for and launched Moda Operandi, an online retail business specializing in pre-order sales straight from the runway. We later added in season sales of luxury apparel, accessories and jewelry (leveraging pre-order sales data).
Led the company through Series A, B and C financing totaling over $50m from top tier financial and strategic investors including LVMH, IMG, Conde Nast, NEA and RRE. Grew vendor base to over 300 of the most desirable luxury brands in the world, including Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Valentino and Isabel Marant. Acquired customers in over 100 countries. Frequent speaker on the topics of entrepreneurship, fashion and technology including Bloomberg Empowered Entrepreneur, Harvard Business School Retail & Luxury Goods Conference, Reuters Luxury and Fashion Summit, Wharton Baker Retail Center Conference, American Express Luxury CEO Roundtable, Fashion Digital, Decoded Fashion, Conde Nast Digital Day and many more. Featured by major business, technology and consumer press around the world including The New York Times, WSJ, FT, Vogue (US, UK, Brazil, Japan, China, Germany, Korea, Russia, Mexico), Elle, Harpers Bazaar, Marie Claire, Forbes, New York Magazine, Vanity Fair, CNBC, Bloomberg, Le Figaro, South China Morning Post and many more
As an active early-stage investor, board member, and senior advisor, I partner with high-growth companies across luxury, technology, sustainability, hospitality, and wellness. I focus on supporting founders with strategy, brand positioning, partnerships, fundraising, and global expansion. Select Roles Include AI / Blockchain Catecut — Board Member & Senior Advisor Supporting strategic direction, investor engagement, and international expansion, while helping shape partnerships with leading fashion and jewelry brands. IVY Pass — Senior Advisor Advising on strategy, partnerships, and the commercialization of its unified-commerce and digital-identity platform for luxury retail and hospitality. Hospitality / Sustainability / Blue Economy Six Senses, Iceland — Investor, Board Member & Developer Co-leading the development of the Six Senses Össurá Valley project, including concept creation, brand alignment, sustainability integration, and overall strategic development. Wild Origins — Senior Advisor Part of the creative advisory collective founded by Neil Jacobs, the hospitality leader behind the global rise of Six Senses. Contributing to concept development, brand strategy, and partnerships for soulful, sustainable projects across hospitality, wellness, lifestyle, and regenerative development. Sleepy Islands — Owner & Senior Advisor Co-leading the development of Sleepy Islands, a nature-immersive eco-project in Breiðafjörður focused on regenerative tourism and sustainable stewardship, while helping drive the responsible commercialization of the project’s seaweed resources. SmartFiber — Board Member Providing strategic guidance to a next-generation materials venture focused on sustainable fiber innovation. A Blue World — Board Member & Senior Advisor Advising this venture studio where open innovation meets blue biotechnology, helping advance regenerative, scalable solutions across a nascent bioscience ecosystem.
Launched the first of its kind online retail business specializing in customization and creation of luxury fashion. Developed a proprietary 3d rendering technology to allow for real time creation of garment renderings as well as a social sharing/ shopping application. Developed on demand, standardized production process. Signed up over 100 luxury brands as vendors. Achieved 200,000 monthly page views within first 6 months. Named one of The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies Of 2015 In Style by Fast Company. Frequent speaker on entrepreneurship, fashion and technology including DLD Conference, Bloomberg Luxury Society, NYU Stern Luxury & Retail Conference, One to World Fulbright Awards and many more. Featured in major business and consumer newspapers, magazines and blogs including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Forbes, Crain’s, Fast Company, WWD, New York Observer, Wired, Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Refinery 29, The Man Repeller, InStyle, Fashionista and The Cut.