Pursuits
How a Former Tesla Executive Is Blowing Up Luxury Fashion
Moda Operandi filled the lucrative retail gap between runway and bargain bin. Now its CEO is targeting China.
Moda Operandi showroom.
Source: Moda OperandiIt’s 9 p.m. on a Thursday, and the night shift just started working at a studio space in lower Manhattan. Fashion photographers scurry about, shooting looks that just days earlier were draped over top models strutting the catwalk at New York Fashion Week.
In this studio, however, the models—some outfitted with Jason Wu pinstripe dresses and black tulle outfits from Red Valentino—are mannequins. They represent a radically different way to sell fashion in America and, soon, around the world—a shift led by a company that’s raised almost $300 million and is now run by a former Tesla Inc. executive.