Founded in Boston, Emma Graham Designs (EGD) has just raised $500k in funding from four local prominent angel investors. In addition to the funding, the company has also just announced that Jennifer Carr-Smith has joined their board. Carr-Smith is the current SVP - COO Direct of J. Crew and former COO of Gilt Groupe.
EGD is a women's clothing company that designs, manufactures and sells dresses, skirts, tops and shorts. Their line is contemporary, stylish and effortlessly distinctive that focuses on classic cuts with vibrant color pairings and bold embellishments. Think classy pastels with a preppy touch.
This is the first outside funding that EGD has raised and will be used to build a robust e-commerce platform where customers can design their own unique outfits, continue building their team, and expand direct sales channels specifically in the college market. Aside from the funding, having the SVP - COO Direct of J. Crew and former COO and Gilt Groupe join their board is a huge move for the three year old company.
"We are really excited about the future of Emma Graham and want to remain really focused on our customer, unique direct sales distribution, and building a great online experience where girls can design their own unique dress or skirt. Bringing on outside investors has allowed us to tap into a vast network of extremely successful and smart people both in Boston and NYC. The addition of Jennifer Carr-Smith from J.Crew (former COO of Gilt) to our board is a huge asset to the team," said cofounder Jackie Graham.
EGD is currently based in NYC but was founded by two Boston natives Emma Mahon and Jackie Graham. Jackie is a recent (2009) Babson College graduate while Emma hails from the University of South Carolina. The two have put together an elegant mix of business and fashion with a southern flare.
You can currently find EGD's offerings at over 70 retail outlets including Twilight Boutique in the North End and should expect to see them around New England Colleges like Boston College, Babson, Bentley, UNH and Harvard as they expand their team of Design Consultants.
