Alley mogul Kevin Ryan and friends still had time on their hands after launching five start-ups in the past two years (including this site), so they have launched a sixth: Gilt Groupe (www.gilt.com). Judging from the early member sign-ups (3,500 in 8 hours), it's a hit.Gilt runs private sales of high-fashion merchandise at sample-sale prices. The next sale, for example, will feature the designer Zac Posen.
The sales are for members only--you have to be invited--but, thankfully, we have some connections here, and we can get (some of) you in. If you're interested, visit this special SAI referral page and register while you can (Gilt is doing the exclusivity thing and has so far refused to endow us with permanent membership granting capabilities, so hurry).
Gilt Groupe is run by CEO Alexis Maybank (above left), a talented AOL and eBay veteran, and the rest of the management team is equally, well, fabulous (check this page out and see if you disagree). The company is in the process of raising a major Series A round with premier VCs at a startling valuation, and interest, by all accounts, has been high.
Disclosure: Yes, yes, we know, we're conflicted up the wazoo here. Gilt's chairman Kevin Ryan is our chairman, Alexis Maybank, Mike Bryzek, and co are basically colleagues, etc. Whatever. You want pure objectivity without a hint of favoritism, emotion, or relationship conflict, visit TechCrunch.