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NET-A-PORTER & MR PORTER RELAUNCH THE VANGUARD MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

NET-A-PORTER & MR PORTER RELAUNCH THE VANGUARD MENTORSHIP PROGRAM September 9, 2024London0 Comments

The leading online retailers announce the 2024 designers with exclusive capsule collections, as part of the new Vanguard program, as well as the recipients of The Education Fund, in partnership with the British Fashion Council.

LONDON, UK (SEPTEMBER 9, 2024) – NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER join forces to expand NET-A-PORTER’s renowned mentorship program, The Vanguard. For the first time, the two retailers unite their talent investment under a comprehensive program that offers designers more business development support than ever before. As champions and incubators of emerging talent, the new program reflects the pride that NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER take in nurturing the next generation of industry designers, innovators and tastemakers.

New for this year, the Vanguard program celebrates designers featured within NET-A-PORTER’s NET SUSTAIN and MR PORTER’s Consciously Crafted, curated product selections that have elevated sustainability attributes. The three designers chosen for the 2024 program are Diotima and Liberowe, available at NET-A-PORTER, and Kartik Research, available at MR PORTER. Selecting emerging brands that already feature within these curations reflects the retailers’ ongoing commitment to support emerging designers who are committed to putting more responsible design at the heart of their work.

To mark the start of their mentorship program, the three recipient designers launch exclusive capsule collections on NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER, available from September 9, 2024. For the first time under The Vanguard mentorship, these exclusive collections have Digital ID technology embedded into the garments, encouraging customers to have a long-lasting relationship with their items, by unlocking insights into design and provenance, and access to styling tips and care and repair services. The collections will be amplified across NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER channels through a dedicated marketing campaign.

Beginning in October, the bespoke Vanguard mentorship for each designer has also been extended to two years, from a baseline of one year in previous editions, reinforcing NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER’s long-term commitment to nurture emerging talent. Throughout their mentorship, the designers will have one-on-one access to two mentors, assigned from a committee of global industry experts, alongside bespoke guidance from sustainability consultancy, Create Sustain, and ongoing guidance from NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER teams on a vast range of business support, including range planning and distribution strategy to marketing and social.

“MR PORTER is excited to join forces with our NET-A-PORTER counterparts in the renowned Vanguard program and work with one of our fastest growing and exciting brands, Kartik Research. The brand was first put on our radar through a personal recommendation and launched on MR PORTER in the summer of 2022. We love what Kartik Research is doing, particularly its ability to define craftsmanship in a contemporary way – it is what sets the brand apart. The founder Kartik Kumra also has an interesting story and perspective in the industry, he is someone who has built his independent business organically. We hope that the mentorship and support we offer through the Vanguard program can help to scale and grow the business further.” Daniel Todd, Buying Director, MR PORTER

Tags: Kartik Research, NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER, The Vanguard, VANGUARD MENTORSHIP PROGRAM, What We Adore Magazine