26 MAY 2020 for Vogue.co.uk

In Episode 6 of my new podcast series, we meet the man who launched the world of luxury online shopping 

For this episode of “Creative Conversations”, I’m joined by an entrepreneur with true vision – Federico Marchetti, Chairman and CEO of YOOX Net-A-Porter Group, who is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his company. 

In 2000, Marchetti founded YOOX, the world’s first lifestyle e-commerce destination –before the launch of Facebook, Instagram, and the iPhone. In 2015, YOOX and Net-A-Porter merged to create YOOX Net-A-Porter Group, which was acquired by the luxury goods conglomerate, Richemont, in 2018.

Federico Marchetti has changed the way people shop. Selling upmarket designer clothes online was almost unimaginable at the start of the new millennium, but he convinced many luxury fashion houses to take their initial steps in the digital space. He found a way to bridge the gap between luxury brands and the internet through e-commerce.

Federico Marchetti with Suzy at the Yoox-Net-A-Porter headquarters in London

Today, YOOX Net-A-Porter serves more than 4.3 million customers in 180 countries and has more than 1 billion visits to its online destinations every year, transforming the luxury shopping experience through artificial intelligence, image recognition, and big data. 

Federico is dedicated to social and environmental engagement, creating a culture of inclusivity and gender balance, and boosting the digital skills of young people through coding tutoring and his Digitali e Uguali initiative, which donates laptops to schoolchildren in Italy and the UK.

In 2019, alongside HRH The Prince of Wales, Marchetti committed to The Modern Artisan Project – a unique partnership between YOOX Net-A-Porter and The Prince’s Foundation to promote textile skills training in the UK – and recently collaborated with Vogue to launch the Vogue YOOX Challenge – a contest that challenges start-ups to commit to sustainability and innovation for the responsible fashion of the future.

To join the conversation, just visit the links below to download and subscribe:

Apple podcasts, Google, SoundCloud, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, YouTube and more.