Being a player in the fashion industry is advantageous when it comes to equity, says Ronan Conlon.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is seeping into practically every major industry, cementing itself as a vital part of how we conduct life on the internet, or sometimes even off of it.
Rent the Runway (RTR) is a fashion tech firm headquartered in New York. The company, founded in 2009, rents designer clothes to a female-centred customer base.
Under the leadership of Jennifer Hyman, RTR has been named in CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list five times in 10 years, and has been placed on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list four times.
And in 2019, 10 years after the company was first founded, it opened a software and technology office in Galway’s quaint Claddagh – its first office outside the US.
An RTR VP for engineering and site lead for its Research and Development Hub in Galway, Ronan Conlon believes AI can solve the biggest challenges in the fashion market.
“Building tech for the fashion industry is a fascinating challenge,” he says. According to him, AI plays a significant role in building customer experiences with personalisation, inventory interactions and logistics – basically, a tailored experience (pun intended).
“AI may manifest itself most obviously in new customer experiences. But it will also power a rate of execution that gets capabilities to market in record time.”
Looking west for talent
Conlon believes the west of Ireland is a great spot for talent. “There’s a great quality of life, a highly educated workforce [here],” he says.
“We’re fortunate in the west to have a great ecosystem of talent, incredible third-level institutions working closely with industry and a community of companies that support each other.”
RTR is involved with the Innovation Technology AtlanTec Gateway (ITAG). The non-profit association beings together tech players in the west of Ireland, running skills workshops and events to promote innovation in the industry.
“We believe that a strong local tech scene is critical to attracting and retaining talent, so it’s a no-brainer to work with ITAG,” says Conlon. A few years ago, ITAG was recognised as an “elite tech cluster” at a European level.
The recognisation opened ITAG up to a network of 32 ICT clusters across Europe, giving its members more funding and support at a wider European level.
“ITAG is the glue that combines industry with academia and talent in the west. They do incredible work to promote the west as a place to live and work, while also supporting the skills that industry needs,” Conlon says.
“We’re genuinely disrupting the world of women’s fashion from our beautiful office right in the Claddagh.”
According to Conlon, being a player in the fashion industry is advantageous when it comes to equity. The company does not have much of an issue when it comes to attracting diverse talent, he says.
“We make a specific effort to attract female engineering talent, and we have a very active Women in Tech group within our Galway office.”
The company has also partnered up with Teen Turn, a charity based in Dublin, that supports teenage girls in receiving STEM experience, qualifications and jobs.
While who to hire might be under RTR’s control, the general macroeconomic weather is not, especially considering the US-imposed tariffs’ impact on businesses worldwide. But Conlon believes in “fixing the roof when it’s not raining”.
“That means getting your house in order, operating efficiently and building an effective delivery culture that will allow you to navigate through more uncertain times when they inevitably come.”
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