Net-a-porter Gets Physical
NEW SEASON: Opinions have always been mixed as to whether the worlds of fashion and art should collide. But Net-a-porter and Sotheby’s are bringing the two together as part of a new partnership.
Sotheby’s has opened the doors of its Bond Street flagship to Net-a-porter, which will be hosting a pop-up fashion exhibition and café at the auction house’s ground floor until Sept. 9 — marking one of the first times the e-commerce platform has dipped its toes into physical shopping.
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The pop-up coincides with Sotheby’s “Life Is Beautiful” sale, celebrating all things luxury and craftsmanship. Its London edition includes rare sneakers, fine jewelry and watches, sought-after Chanel and Hermès handbags and original movie posters. A Bond car, a replica of the Series 3 Land Rover used by Daniel Craig in the forthcoming James Bond film “No Time to Die,” is also on offer.
More iterations of the sale will launch in Cologne, Paris and Milan later this month.
Courtesy of Net-a-Porter
For its part, Net-a-porter has given the monochrome treatment to the Sotheby’s café, serving black-and-white delicacies that match its sleek branding. It has also created a fashion exhibition-cum-shopping space next to the the “Life Is Beautiful” exhibition, featuring an edit of its fall 2021 collections, which embraces the same themes of timeless craftsmanship and feel-good luxury. The collection on show features mega brands like Bottega Veneta and Loewe but equally, plenty of pieces from independent British names, from Molly Goddard’s larger-than-life tulle skirts, to Simone Rocha’s ruffled leather jackets, and David Koma’s signature form-fitting cocktail dresses. The retailer’s new homeware edit is also on display.
To mark the launch and London’s social calendar coming back alive, Net hosted a cocktail at Sotheby’s and its fleet of personal shoppers will be setting up shop at the auction house for the week to welcome shoppers for physical appointments.
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