The only wardrobe you will ever need
It may cost £70,000 and be the stuff of fantasy, but Net-a-Porter’s gift experience is an investment for life, says Bethan Holt
Fast-forward to 36 days from now. It’s Christmas morning and underneath the tree there’s a discreet envelope addressed to you. You prise it open and no, it’s not M&S vouchers (useful as they may be) but an invitation to create your very own £70,000 It Girl wardrobe.
It may sound like the stuff of fashion fairy tales, but e-tailer Net-aPorter is offering its EIP (Extremely Important People) and their loved ones the opportunity to splash the equivalent of a deposit on a small London flat on the ultimate clothes experience. The package doesn’t mean just lots of gorgeous clothes, with access to exclusive previews of pieces that are predicted to be sellouts, but also includes business class travel to London, plus flights if you need them, with a night in a five-star hotel and a consultation with Lisa Aiken, Net-a-Porter’s retail fashion director.
It’s a dreamy offering, but it also tells us a lot about what it means to be fashionable today. It’s no longer enough to know that one fashion show was the biggest of the season and simply buy the standout pieces to semaphore your stylish person status. Instead, major luxury labels create a smorgasbord of options, which are mixed with pieces from niche, insider brands that quickly become famous and widely copied.
Against this landscape, the definition of It Girl (please do banish all thoughts of Lady Victoria Hervey from your mind) has completely altered. “Nowadays, you don’t necessarily know their names, but these women represent a vast array of different styles,” says Hannah Almassi, editorial director of fashion website WhoWhatWear, speaking of the fashion influencers who shape trends and create must-have pieces by wearing them to be photographed for images that appear in magazines, newspapers and on social media feeds.
“There’s been a noticeable shift to uniqueness,” Almassi adds. “It’s not necessarily about everyone having the same thing, but wearing pieces in your own way.” This is reflected in the fact that Net-a-Porter sells modern classics by big names like Giorgio Armani alongside LA cool brand Staud. But for anyone who’s not an expert, it’s probably a mystifying mix to nail.
This is where Aiken comes in. She’s not just a professional buyer for a global luxury brand, but a woman who inspires 34,000 Instagram followers with her interpretations of the latest trends and how to wear them; her recent posts have included a Burberry checked hoodie layered over a trench coat by emerging London brand A.W.A.K.E, a Stella McCartney trouser suit worn with a hi-shine mac by Diane von Fürstenberg, and a hair ribbon from John Lewis.
“Lisa is definitely considered one of the new breed of It Girls and has been very influential, especially in promoting contemporary brands like Rejina Pyo or Simon Miller,” says Almassi. “But her appeal to anyone buying the £70,000 wardrobe gift is that she will be able to tell you exactly what suits you and the clothes that will make a great investment for years to come.”
So what might the wardrobe of a modern It Girl comprise? With more than 27,000 products on its website, Net-a-Porter offers a vast choice, and while some might try to tell you that social media means that we can only wear anything once these days, Net-a-Porter says that it is clocking a consumer who wants to know that her purchases will still feel relevant in a few years’ time – which might also be why Selfridges says it expects to sell one of Max Mara’s timelessly chic coats every hour between now and Christmas.
After a few minutes of shopping, I managed to put together a fantastical £61,235 worth of fashion gorgeousness (see box). Accessories-wise, Saint Laurent’s Niki crystal boots are twinkly, cheering and bound to go down in fashion history, while Simon Miller’s Bonsai bucket bag is affordable as It bags go, at £585 – but has become a cult buy in recent years. Amrapali’s pearl, diamond and emerald earrings, meanwhile, are the ultimate heirloom aural adornment.
Then we come to the clothes. Prada’s delicately embellished mohair jumper is an It knit that will remain a conversation starter for as long as you manage to keep the moths away from it. A breezy Chloé midi dress could be worn on the beach in summer and with boots in winter. Rosie Assoulin’s statement red flamenco skirt is equally a purchase that will work across seasons and has been worn with everything from crisp linen crop tops to mannish shirts. For evening, you’ll need a dramatic and timeless gown like this one by Roksanda, embellished with delicate flower beads, and a sleekly cool jumpsuit by Oscar de la Renta that will never go out of style. The pièce de résistance is a trophy coat, and few could better Gucci’s marshmallow pink design with crystal swirl embroidery.
The choices might be mind boggling, but with £70,000 to spend you will find real gems that will be bankers for your wardrobe in the years to come.