Carly-Ann Fergus
Carly-Ann Fergus
Director, XRC Labs
Carly-Ann Fergus sits at the intersection of Fashion, Technology, and Retail. She serves as the Director XRC Labs, a retail tech accelerator launched in partnership with founding sponsors Kurt Salmon and Parsons School of Design at The New School. As Director, Fergus helps select the portfolio startups, connects them with corporate partners, resources, and industry experts to accelerate their businesses. With a multifaceted career journey in the fashion industry, her work experience spans from established companies such as Tommy Hilfiger, to start-up brands such as Nahm. She spearheaded the launch of a New York-based women's ready-to-wear brand and served, as Director of Operations, then earned her MA in Fashion Studies, with a focus on Strategic Design and Management at Parsons School of Design. Her thesis research focused on the rise of New York City as a leading global fashion capital and the issues that stem from the lack of access to capital for its rising community of emerging talent. Carly-Ann served as a member of the Selection Committee and Advisory Board for the 2017 - 2018 inaugural CFDA and Accessories Council Elaine Gold Launch Pad (an initiative intended to catapult visionary ideas into viable futures for designers 0-3 years within their professional journey). Carly-Ann has been featured on Forbes.com and has been mentioned in outlets such as WWD and Vogue Italia. She has spoken at the 2017 CFDA Education Summit, 2017 MIT Media Lab Hacking Arts Conference, 2017 Women in Innovation Forum, XRC Labs Women in Entrepreneurship event, the French Consulate General during the 2017 National Retail Federation French party event, and the Retail X Series. She is a member of the Opportunity Network's Associate Board of Governors, and co-founder of the award-winning Fashion & Diversity series at the New School.