Multi-Brand Luxury · London · Est. 2000
Net-à-Porter
The world's premier luxury fashion destination.
Natalie Massenet launched Net-à-Porter in June 2000 from her flat in London — at a time when the idea of selling luxury fashion online was considered by the industry to be an absurdity. Massenet's insight was simple but revolutionary: present clothes with the editorial quality of a fashion magazine but allow the reader to buy immediately. The site launched with just a handful of brands and sold its first item — a Joseph dress — within days. The fashion industry took notice very quickly.
Net-à-Porter was the first luxury multi-brand retailer to invest in photography and editorial content at the level of Vogue or Harper's Bazaar. Every product was shot on model, styled with complementary pieces, and presented with fashion editor's notes. This content-commerce model — taken entirely for granted today — was genuinely pioneering in 2000. The company also invested heavily in packaging: orders arrived in signature black boxes with tissue paper and ribbon, making the delivery itself feel like a gift.
Today Net-à-Porter carries over 800 designers across fashion, fine jewellery, beauty and homeware. The brand roster spans Hermès, Chanel, Bottega Veneta, Brunello Cucinelli, Valentino, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bvlgari and hundreds more. The company offers same-day delivery in London, New York, Hong Kong and other major cities, and next-day delivery across most major markets. It ships to over 170 countries.
In 2010, Massenet sold Net-à-Porter to Richemont for approximately £350 million. A brief and turbulent merger with YOOX followed in 2015, creating YOOX Net-à-Porter Group. Richemont bought out the remaining shares in 2018. Net-à-Porter remains the most prestigious address in online luxury fashion — a destination where over 9 million customers spend an average of 11 minutes per visit, compared to a typical retail website's 3 minutes.
Net-à-Porter is distinguished not just by its brand selection but by service: personal shopping, same-day delivery, a returns service with dedicated couriers, and the 'EIP' (Extremely Important People) concierge programme for top clients. The site's editorial team produces fashion stories, trend reports and interviews that blur the line between magazine and shop.