Bassike co-founder Mary Lou Ryan has taken on the role of vice president of circular strategy and partnerships at the Australian fashion reselling marketplace AirRobe, three months since stepping away from her brand.
She will work alongside founder and CEO Hannon Comazzetto.
"When I first connected with Hannon, I immediately resonated with her vision for circularity in fashion and her passion for AirRobe,” Ryan said. “Our shared interest in sustainability and circular fashion grew into a friendship.
“AirRobe has exciting projects in the works, and I’m thrilled to collaborate with the team and our community of fashion partners and customers to bring them to life. Partnering with Hannon Comazzetto, founder & CEO, feels like a natural progression in my 30-year journey of reshaping fashion through ethics, sustainability, and circularity."
Comazzetto said she is humbled and keen to work alongside Ryan in a bid to connect fashion brands and customers to the global circular economy.
“We believe in collaborating with our fashion partners, and the industry, as we transform from a linear to circular economy, so appointing a fashion leader with first-hand experience as a co-founder has been important to me,” Comazzetto said.
“A true pioneer in sustainable fashion and as co-founder of one of Australia’s most iconic fashion brands, the appointment of Mary Lou was clear. Mary Lou’s expertise will play a key role in shaping how we collaborate with the fashion industry and continue the global expansion of AirRobe.”
AirRobe was launched in 2020 as a digital platform that manages the buying, selling, and renting of fashion for both fashion brands and customers.
Alongside her joining the team, Ryan has also posted up twenty-one items from her personal wardrobe onto the platform.
As co-founder of Bassike, Ryan reinvented the classic white tee with her commitment to ethical and sustainable practices. Earlier this year she divested her shareholding to focus on other ventures.
Fellow co-founder Deborah Sams continues to run Bassike alongside CEO Billy Voss.