Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter team up to relaunch Vanguard | kbnmart

YNAP luxury brands Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter have teamed up for the first time to expand Net-A-Porter’s mentorship program, The Vanguard.

This means the comprehensive programme will provide designers with more business development support than in the past, with the two acting as “champions and incubators for emerging talent”.

New this year, Vanguard is celebrating Net-A-Porter’s featured designers and Mr Porter’s carefully curated product selections from Consciously Crafted that come with “elevated sustainability attributes.”

So, which brands will be in the spotlight this year? The three brands selected for the 2024 programme are Diotima and Liberowe available on Net-A-Porter and Kartik Research available on Mr Porter.

Diotima has launched an exclusive dress by Caribbean-born, New York-based designer Rachel Scott. The dress was launched in 2021 “to honor the artisanal techniques and processes of her native country. The brand’s signature crochet pieces, handcrafted by a group of local Jamaican artisans, are inspired by traditional doilies and come in a variety of patterns and textures.”

Meanwhile, Liberowe is launching an exclusive 18-piece collection featuring bespoke jackets, ruffled shirts, dresses and skirts. The fine tailoring is made in London and “infused with references to Indian menswear and Paris in the 1960s and 1970s.”

Kartik Research is another brand born only in 2021. Founded by Kartik Kumra, it works closely with Indian artisans to “create locally inspired clothing. Celebrating cultural heritage, each piece is handcrafted in limited quantities using centuries-old artisanal techniques.” For the program, the company is launching an exclusive nine-piece collection featuring handwoven suits alongside jackets and shirts with hand-embroidered details.

The two online retailers said the selection of emerging brands already in the collections reflects their “ongoing commitment to supporting emerging designers who are committed to putting more responsible design at the heart of their work.”

Sustainability features

The trio of brands launched their exclusive capsules on Monday online and they come with a range of sustainability features.

For example, for the first time under the program, they now have digital ID technology embedded in the pieces, as well as access to styling advice and care and repair services.

Online retailers also run marketing campaigns specifically to support groups.

Another change is that the usual one-year mentorship programme will be extended to two years from October, further supporting the e-commerce giant’s “long-standing commitment to nurturing emerging talent”.

This means designers will have “individual access to two mentors, appointed by a panel of global industry experts, alongside dedicated guidance from sustainability consultancy Create Sustain” and ongoing guidance from the Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter teams on issues such as range planning, distribution strategy, marketing and social media.

This year’s judging panel includes Allison Lohnes, interim CEO and president of the two sites; Greg Chait, founder and CEO of The Elder Statesman; Lynette Nylander, executive digital director at Harper’s Bazaar US; Julie Ragulja, fashion designer and creative consultant; Sophia Lee, journalist, climate advocate and public speaker; Claire Bergkamp, ​​CEO of the Textile Exchange.

“Each of the three designers has a distinct design DNA, and demonstrates promise, a sense of purpose and a commitment to a more responsible future, making them the perfect group for this year’s programme,” said Kate Benson, director of purchasing for both sites.

Education Fund

Meanwhile, online retailers said they have taken part in expanding the Education Fund this time around. Now in its third year, the fund, which works in partnership with the British Fashion Council, provides financial support and tailored mentoring to final-year students.

They receive a cash prize of £12,500 and global coverage across Porter and The Journal magazines, while being paired with internal mentors from both sites for 12 months.

This year’s winners are: Flora Macfarlane from Glasgow School of Art, Hadisa Ahmed Tabusam from Manchester Metropolitan University, Matthew Embringham from Central Saint Martins, and Chanel Edwards from the University of Westminster.