Net-A-Porter names brands for latest Vanguard emerging designers programme

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Sep 5, 2019

Net-A-Porter has revealed the names of the four brands that have joined the third season of its Vanguard programme for emerging designers as the company continues to position itself as an incubator for new talent.

They include ready-to-wear labels Bite Studios and Le 17 September, and handbag specialists Naturae Sacra and The Sant, all of them being new and exclusive for the AW19 season.

New talent is very much in the spotlight at present as Fashion Month begins and following yesterday’s LVMH Prize winners announcement. And it’s undeniable that fresh names are crucial to driving a luxury sector that thrives on newness and creativity.

Each of the four brands that Net-A-Porter has selected will receive a comprehensive mentorship within each area of the business as part of the now well-established programme.

What’s particularly interesting is that for the first time, each brand was scouted through Instagram. And the luxury e-tailer also said that “sustainability was top of mind during the selection process,” with Bite Studios and Naturae Sacra “both championing sustainable processes and materials in their production.”

Other support for The Vanguard labels will include a visual campaign highlighting the four new brands, alongside previous brands from the second season of the programme (Peter Do, Commission, Ratio et Motus and Anne Manns).

Looking closer at the individual new brands, Bite Studios (with Bite being an acronym for By Independent Thinkers for Environmental progress) was said to be “a natural choice for The Vanguard’s support, answering, as it does, the demand for sustainable luxury design. From sharp suiting to slick shirt dresses, [it] delivers a masterclass in elevated style with ethically sound credentials.”

Le 17 Septembre is Korean and is the creation of blogger turned self-taught designer Eunhye Shin. “Monastic in palette and minimalist in mood, its pieces have a quiet, contemplative cool, easing effortlessly into any stylish wardrobe,” Net-A-Porter said.

Naturae Sacra offers “elegant leather designs [that] boast sculptural resin handles, crafted in curving, fluid shapes inspired by nature. And since no two handles are the same, each bag is as unique as the woman who carries it.”

And Barcelona-based The Sant is said to be “shaking up the handbag world with its witty, modern pieces. Its designs are full of quirky touches, from exaggerated shapes (the squashed box, the extended oblong) to offbeat details (soft, concertinaed-leather handles, flap closures), ensuring each one is a statement piece.”