Chris Blakeslee joins Unspun board of directors

US-founded fashion-tech B-corp company Unspun, which has developed low-waste production solutions for the apparel industry, has announced that Chris Blakeslee, former Athleta executive, has joined its board of directors.

In a statement, Unspun stated that Blakeslee, who was most recently president and chief executive of Athleta, the women’s active lifestyle brand within the Gap Inc. portfolio, would become the company’s first independent board member and would lend his expertise as it looks to globally scale its 3D weaving technology for on-demand, localised garment manufacturing. Its proprietary 3D weaving technology, called Vega, transforms yarn into garments within minutes, and has seen the company partner with brands, including Walmart and Decathlon.

Blakeslee brings nearly 15 years of apparel leadership experience, as he was previously president of Alo Yoga and its sister brand Bella+Canvas, and held senior positions across operations, supply chain, sales and sourcing sectors at Alphabroder, the largest wholesale distributor of branded and imprintable apparel.

Commenting on his new role, Blakeslee said: “Unspun’s technology has the potential to transform the speed at which brands bring products to market, while lowering costs and mitigating global supply chain risks.

“The company’s Vega technology is among the most compelling innovations I’ve encountered, and I’m excited to help bring its vision and impact to life.”

He joins board members 0 Beth Esponnette (Unspun co-founder), Walden Lam (Unspun co-founder), Kevin Martin (Unspun CEO), Milo Werner (DCVC), Shuo Yang (Lowercarbon Capital), and Duncan Turner (SOSV and Hax).

Esponnette added: “From Alo Yoga to Bella+Canvas to Athleta, Chris has shaped the activewear industry and knows what it takes to scale innovation across both startups and global brands.

“His strategic sense of what brands need and what customers want will help ensure unspun delivers its technology at impact and scale. Chris is exactly the kind of leader we want unspun to attract.”

The move follows Unspun raising 32 million dollars last year in an oversubscribed Series B funding round to support its ambitions to rapidly scale Vega and expand its operations across North America and Europe.