For Subscribers

Rent the Runway's New Office Space Reminds Employees 'Everyone Deserves a Cinderella Experience' The newly renovated Manhattan headquarters is made for work but built like a fashionista fairy tale.

By Hayden Field

This story appears in the September 2018 issue of BIZ Experiences. Subscribe »

Adam Friedberg

Rent the Runway promises to make every woman's fashion dreams come true, and the company -- which rents designer pieces to shoppers at a fraction of the retail cost -- has built an $800 million brand delivering on it. That goes for its staff, too. RTR's newly renovated Manhattan headquarters is made for work but built like a fashionista fairy tale: Garment racks overflow with today's latest trends, and meticulously arranged books celebrate the work of fashion greats. That's in addition to a private employee fitting room, a meditation room, a lactation room and a photo studio. And of course, the brand's core values are painted on the walls to remind employees that "everyone deserves a Cinderella experience."

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Sydney Schaub

General counsel

"Working as a general counsel at a startup is a completely different experience than working at a big company or law firm. It's super collaborative and fast-paced, and no day is like the day before. I like being in an open environment here. I can't be sequestered from the rest of the group -- in order to do a good job, I have to have my finger on the pulse of the company."

Monte Williams

Senior director of customer experience and retail

"Happy employees make happy customers, so my goal is to make sure we have the happiest employees on the front lines. We treat people like people: Make sure you're saying hi in the morning and bye in the evening, offer support, be considerate. When employees feel better, they treat customers better."

Related: Check Out TheSkimm's New Playful Headquarters, Designed By Its Employees

Angela Nunes

Flagship store leader

"I work in Rent the Runway's retail store; as subscribers we have unlimited access to the clothing. I love that I get to actualize the dream closet."

Nina George

General manager of growth

"I recently had a baby and just came back -- I got 12 weeks at 100 percent pay -- and it's like I never left. You're able to pick things up exactly where you left off."

Will Flaherty

Head of growth marketing

"My team goes on regular outings to bond and eat great food. We recently went to Flushing, a neighborhood in Queens, and did a food tour, eating dumplings, duck buns and all sorts of amazing Chinese delicacies. Soon we're going to do a food tour in Jackson Heights -- another international-food neighborhood."

Rose Oshaia

Director of IT

"If someone works here, we interface with them. In most IT organizations, roles are specialized. But here, because we're small, we get to touch everything. It allows people to develop their skills in the tech field faster than they would at a traditional company."

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Anushka Salinas

Chief revenue officer

"Rent the Runway's new maternity subscription, which launched in May, has literally changed my pregnancy. I've bought three pairs of pants and some T-shirts, and I've been renting everything else -- including the dress I'm wearing right now. It's made getting dressed during my pregnancy awesome."

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Image Credit: Adam Friedberg
Hayden Field

BIZ Experiences Staff

Associate Editor

Hayden Field is an associate editor at BIZ Experiences. She covers technology, business and science. Her work has also appeared in Fortune Magazine, Mashable, Refinery29 and others. 

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