Biography
Arun Gupta is the founder and chief executive of Grailed, a peer-to-peer e-commerce platform which in 2018 closed an investment round of $15 million, led by Index Ventures.
The site developed a rapid following among collectors and other men's fashion obsessives looking to score high-end second-hand menswear and streetwear from brands such as Raf Simons , Supreme, Number (N)ine and Helmut Lang. In 2018, the most expensive item sold was an 18-year-old Raf Simons bomber jacket which went for $47,000.
A Yale University graduate, Gupta coded the Grailed website himself after realising there was no used clothing sites that catered specifically to men. Officially launched in early 2014, the peer-to-peer service is highly curated — the team evaluates every item posted on the site. Items are categorised as “Grailed” (upscale, rare finds), “Hype” (new releases and streetwear) and “Basics” (mass-market and vintage).
By February 2019, Grailed had 3.7 million users, with its ease of use and navigation becoming a point of differentiation from niche sites like Reddit or StyleForum.
In late 2016, the company announced Grailed 100, a collation of the 100 most sought-after menswear pieces on sale on the site. The site also offers “white glove services,” helping influential people track down certain rare pieces of menswear. Clients include rappers A$AP Rocky and Kanye West.
Grailed has also launched a sister-site for women, Heroine, which launched in September 2017.