Orvis, the family-owned-and-operated outdoor lifestyle retailer and leader in fly-fishing and wingshooting gear, dog products and apparel, announces today that Carla Feely has been named chief product officer. In this role, Feely will oversee the next chapter of Orvis’s commitment to product excellence and provide executive oversite for all product-related functions. 

Carla Feely Courtesy of Orvis

“Ever since Charles F. Orvis made the first Orvis fly rod in 1856, Orvis has been driven by innovation to provide our customers with the best products,” says Orvis President Simon Perkins. “Building the next generation of innovative products and apparel to inspire our customers in the outdoors will be central to our growth for both the brand and business. Carla’s experience leading merchandising, planning, design, and development across multiple product categories is the perfect fit to continue the momentum we’ve built over the last several years. She also brings a deep regard for the brand’s rich legacy of protecting nature and keeping the customer at the center of all we do. We are thrilled to welcome her to the Orvis family and excited for what lies ahead for the brand and our customers.” 

Feely’s career path has included leadership roles at well-known brands such as Gap, Levi’s, Swarovski, and Gymboree. She held the position of general manager and senior vice president of men’s and kids at Stitch Fix during a 5-year span where the brand doubled its revenue growth. Most recently, Feely worked as head of merchandising for Quince, where she led product teams across men’s, women’s, kids, home, accessories, footwear, and fine jewelry categories. 

Feely will oversee merchandise strategy and execution across all product categories. She is excited to combine Orvis’s rich history and credibility in the fly-fishing, wingshooting, and dog categories with a customer-data-driven approach to inform the next generation of Orvis apparel and style. Her work in the apparel category will also focus on fiber and fabric innovation, renewable resources and manufacturing practices that will help Orvis reach its sustainability goals. 

“For over 160 years, Orvis has been inspiring so many to discover and pursue life in the outdoors. The brand has such a deep history and personal meaning to me and my family, going back to a free Orvis casting class my parents attended in 1993.  We have all been passionate anglers and customers ever since,” says Feely. “I am excited and honored to join such a talented group of people who are committed to their customers, their products and to inspiring a multi-generational love of nature.”