Tech Entrepreneur Lauryn Vaughn Is Changing the Resale Fashion Game Jul 15th

My entire career has been about using technology to sell upscale consignment clothing. But my starting point was in traditional fashion: When I was a commerce student at the University of Calgary, I landed an internship with the designer Paul Hardy. That was my introduction to retail behind the scenes, like sourcing materials and marketing products.

While I was travelling abroad with Paul to show his collections, I fell in love with Paris. I moved there in 2009 when I graduated from university. I lived on savings because my French was never good enough for me to get a job. I didn’t want to compromise on style, so I got into buying vintage clothing. I still have a pair of ivory Chie Mihara pumps from my time there.

Vaughn in her Calgary showroom

After two years in Paris, I ran out of money and came home to Canada. My aunt was working at a consignment store in Calgary, which sparked an idea: I could bring consignment shopping to a wider market by taking it online. I started to build my first company, an online luxury consignment retailer, from my basement while I was working full-time at an insurance company…