When auction house William Vintage and Versace partnered to curate a collection of vintage outfits last year, they put the coveted clothes on sale on Farfetch.com. The online-shopping platform has also collaborated with the likes of Gucci, for a 90-minute delivery service; Manolo Blahnik, for an exclusive capsule collection; and Fashion Forward Dubai, to support regional designers.
It’s safe to assume, then, that Farfetch is one of the most popular and well-served luxury fashion portals in the cut-throat world of online shopping. The London-headquartered e-tailer announced that it has joined forces with the Middle East’s luxury retail Chalhoub Group, to “connect Chalhoub’s expertise of retail, distribution and marketing… with our e-commerce, technology and logistics platform”.
What does this mean for luxury fashion fans in the UAE?
Well, for one, Farfetch.com will launch an Arabic version of its portal in the first half of this year. The group will also open its first office in the Middle East, in Dubai, potentially easing customer service and shipping inquiries and services.
The portal’s fashion buyers will also focus on sourcing the clothes, bags, shoes and accessories that are more likely to appeal to local tastes and styles.
Farfetch has announced that it will increase supply in the region, by onboarding Chalhoub Group’s own network of concept stores and other partner franchises – including Level Shoes, Level Kids and Tryano. In addition, Farfetch will up its VIP offering, with personal-shopping services for those buyers who want support to find or order the specific items they seek. The aim, says the company, is to offer an unparalleled luxury shopping proposition.
‘Middle East of great strategic importance’
José Neves, founder and CEO of Farfetch, said: “As one of the largest luxury markets in the world, the Middle East is of great strategic importance to Farfetch. Our joint venture with Chalhoub Group represents our commitment to being thoughtful and thorough with regards to our expansion efforts in the region, which is an opportunity for our business and the brands and boutiques we work with around the world. It’s also great for our customers, bringing lovers of luxury fashion in the Middle East and beyond even greater choice, and incredible products that they can’t find anywhere else, from around the world.”
Patrick Chalhoub, CEO of Chalhoub Group, added: “We wanted to bring new proposals to our clients while accelerating our digital journey. Partnering with Farfetch seems an obvious choice.”
[“Source-thenational”]