NET-A-PORTER
www.net-a-porter.com
Launched by Natalie Massenet in 2000, Net-a-Porter was a trailblazer in luxury fashion e-commerce through the Noughties. It blurs the lines between editorial and online retail with its in-house magazine, Porter. The expert editorial is served up alongside a heady call card of global luxury brands, from the fashion houses of Gucci, Prada and Chanel to the new and emerging designer section, perfect for discovering new European independent brands. The site experience is as slick and stylish as an issue of Vogue. Each product has its own catwalk video to watch and accompanying ‘Editor’s Notes’ to give you style ideas for your new fashion investment.
FARFETCH
www.farfetch.com
Designer fashion e-tailer, FarFetch offers all you’d expect from a luxury retail site. It has 700 luxe labels to peruse, expert editorial and even a 90-minute delivery option for central London if you’re in a fashion hurry. Yet it’s the vintage section that sets them apart from other platforms. With over 9000 pieces, it’s a treasure trove of the crème de la crème of vintage fashion. There’s 70s Hermes (with eye-watering 5-figure price tags), 80s Dior and even 90s Brit Pop Burberry. Shop the best of the decades and snap up a slice of fashion history.
LIBERTY OF LONDON
www.libertylondon.com
Nothing can beat the luxury experience of shopping the hallowed hall of Liberty itself; however browsing online is not a bad second best. The site has the same eclectic feel of both an impeccable edit of iconic brands mixed with insider global ‘treasures’. A true department store, with menswear, childrenswear and home all catered for plus a truly life-saving gift section that never fails to earn brownie points. Not to mention of course the fabric and haberdashery section that the central London store is so renowned for. It’s hard to transcribe the magic and heritage of a store like Liberty online, but the quirky British doyenne of London retail has got it in spades.
SPACE NK
www.spacenk.com
Space NK was founded by Nikki Kinnaird in 1993 with just one apothecary in Covent Garden. Now dominating the online luxury beauty landscape, Space NK is credited with turning brands like Eve Lom, By Terry and Laura Mercier into household names. ‘Inside Space’ offers an expert product edit for those who need some hand-holding through the myriad of beauty brands. Shop by trend, product category, or browse ‘new in’ to discover the next buzzword in beauty.
MODA OPERANDI
www.modaoperandi.com
If you want your luxury fashion hot off the catwalk, Moda Operandi will deliver. The online fashion ‘disruptors’ have launched a retail model unlike any other - their ‘Trunkshow’ category allows consumers to shop directly from designers’ complete runway collections prior to production – rather than waiting and only getting an edit of what a boutique decides to stock. It puts the consumer directly in touch with the designer, for the first time in an online retail space. Of course there is also a curated edit of ‘ready-to-wear’ for fashionista to peruse too – with 1,000 different labels, offering a mix of well-known fashion houses and emerging designers.
FORTNUM & MASON
www.fortnumandmason.com
Mayfair’s luxury foodie institution Fortnum & Mason offers all the delicacies you can quaff in-store, online. Their iconic duck-egg blue and gold branding makes for a refined browse; you can choose your hamper by occasion or category. There is even a wine hamper for those looking for a liquid picnic lunch. Their loose-leaf tea offering is extensive and world-renowned, whilst the extensive biscuit category is sure to delight any online gastronome. You can even book one of their legendary afternoon teas, or find a tea set of your own in their homewares department.
DAYLESFORD
www.daylesford.com
If you’re looking for a reassuringly British luxury experience, Daylesford is the online destination for you. Forget the schlep to The Cotswolds, surf the luxury lifestyle site from the comfort of your sofa and buy into a slice of their smart, bucolic dream. It’s not just for muddy carrots and prime organic butchery (although there is plenty of that on offer), you can book onto their cookery school events to learn how to make the most of their superlative produce; find a folder brimming with seasonal recipes or shop their home & garden edit of beautiful linens, enamel tableware and hand thrown crockery. Don’t forget to check out their sister site, Bamford, for all things organic beauty.
FARROW & BALL
www.farrow-ball.com
People don’t just visit the Farrow & Ball website to purchase paint. The luxury interiors brand offers a world of luxury interiors inspiration guided by their ‘colour experts’. You can browse their inspiration pages room by room; from light and airy to dark and moody, they will have a palette to fit the bill. Whether you’re looking for an authentic colour for a period property, or just tips on how to hang wallpaper, it’s the must-visit destination for luxe interior DIYer.
LUX DECO
www.luxdeco.com
Looking to recreate that ‘luxury hotel experience’ in your own home? Click and browse the luxury interiors website that the likes of Soho House, Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons go to for their hotel interiors. The online experience is cleverly curated, allowing you to ‘shop the room’ – down to the vases and cushions. Taking the guess work out of dressing a room, their expert team of interior designers have done the sourcing for you, enabling you to shop, unpack and dress your room like the professionals.
BLACK TOMATO
www.blacktomato.com
If you want your adventure travel with a side order of luxury, Black Tomato are the fixers to know. It’s not just about adrenaline. Their focus is on the ‘unique experience’, allowing you to tailor a truly bespoke holiday. The site is cleverly geared to make you think about what you want from a break. Rather than searching by location or hotel, the site asks you simply what your reason is to travel – are you looking to indulge, discover, learn or challenge? Do you want beach, adventure, safari… Before you know it, you’re chasing the Northern Lights in Finland or on a dune safari in the Middle East. All the while hand-held by the team’s expert concierge.
If you like this, you might like to read these:
My Web with Joa Studholme, Faroow & Ball's colour consultant
Luxury Travel Gift Edit
Best Sites for Designer Interiors
June 2019
By Lydia Mansi