0:06

hi, I'm Glynis Trail Nash, and welcome to season two of In Fashion. If you're new to this podcast, welcome, I hope you'll enjoy listening to these conversations across all aspects of the fashion industry. And for regular listeners, welcome back and thank you for your patience Since we last caught up, I've been doing some traveling and I've lined up some fantastic guests, but before I head it off, I caught up with net Deporter Market Director Libby Page during Australian Fashion Week in Sydney. I think a lot of people, myself included, are fascinated by the behind the scenes world of fashion retail and buying. Libby was more than happy to explain the different aspects of her role and also how much travel is really involved. I should add that I put her main packing tip into practice on my recent trip, and I can vouch that it is a game changer. I hope you enjoy this episode of In Fashion.

GTN 1:06

Livy, thank you for joining me today.

Libby 1:07

Thank you so much for having me. I'm delighted to be chatting to you.

GTN 1:11

Well, it's good to see you here in Sydney during Australian Fashion Week, and you've been here before

Libby 1:16

for Fashion Week? Yes, I was here in 2019, um, which seems like a lifetime ago. Right? So it's amazing to be back. I absolutely love this city. We've got, you know, a huge range of brands here, so really, really happy to be back.

GTN 1:29

Fantastic. Now you've got a very senior role at net deporte obviously. Um, I want some background from you though, how you got to where you are today.

Libby 1:38

Yeah, sure. Um, I mean, it's so funny when you kind of like think back to, you know, where my journey started, but. Um, I studied fashion at university. So I feel like I was very kind of interested in the industry from quite an early age and actually started out doing a lot of editorial work. So I was fashion assistant at various magazines like Instar and Mary Claire. You know, I did internships at British Vogue, so from a very early age when I was studying, I was really throwing myself into that side of things. And then I joined NetApp Porter. Gosh, eight years ago. Mm-hmm. Um, so actually I've been there eight years just this past March, and I joined as a fashion assistant back when, uh, Porter was actually the edit magazine. Mm-hmm. And it was digital. And I joined as a fashion assistant and was really working on the front of book pages. And what I found the most interesting, having come from an editorial background is that the work I was doing was still editorial, but it was linked directly to the product that you were selling. So it was immediately thinking about what does the customer love, what's gonna drive sales, what's gonna drive engagement? And you could kind of see immediately that sort of transactional piece. Mm-hmm. Which I think I just found so fascinating. Um, 'cause you were getting sort of direct feedback on what they were, you know, what they were shopping. So I did that for a couple of years and then, at the time Lisa Akin was doing, uh, the style director role for the edit. And she was doing maternity cover. She was just about to go back to her role as a retail fashion director. And she said to me, you know, I'm looking for someone to join my team within the buying team, and I think you'd be, you know, really interested in this role. And it was a junior market editor role. And honestly, I. Hadn't even really understood what that role could have been and what that looked like. I think, you know, when I joined university, my goal was to always work within magazines. So that was kind of like the career trajectory I was going on. And obviously I joined the edit. It was still very much a magazine and so. You know, Lisa was really explaining this role to me and how it was this hybrid between buying and marketing. So, you know, how do you make sure that everything we're buying is reflected in our marketing campaigns, and how do you make sure that everything we're putting in our marketing campaigns is really reflective of the buy. So it's like this conduit between commerce and content. And I just immediately felt like this was something that I was gonna kind of fall in love with. And I think knowing how much I enjoyed seeing that engagement from the customer and how the product you're selecting really impacts sales, it felt like it was a great combination of sort of business and um, and creativity as well. So I joined a junior market editor working with Lisa Akin, and then sort of since then have. You know, moved up and the role has evolved and it's, you know, very multifaceted and very kind of the same as what I started doing at the very beginning, but it's just kind of, you know, my remit has grown so. Today I am, yeah, market director and really still working with our buying team on the curation of product and the strategy. So, you know, what exclusive projects are we doing, what new brands are we bringing on? And then really working with our marketing team to bring that to life, um, through all of the campaigns that we do. So it's a really, yeah, multifaceted role. And that sort of, that's where I, that's where I am today. I guess.

GTN 5:15

It's, I've always found. Whenever I talk to buyers, I feel like it's almost like one of the dark arts that I've never fully understood because there's so many different elements to it. You've gotta look at data, you've gotta look at what's already selling. You've gotta look ahead and you've gotta sort of trend forecast. How do you sum up what goes into the buying process?

Libby 5:36

I would say it's a combination of head and heart, and I think. You know, it really starts with the customer as well. And that's what our team are always thinking about. What does the customer want? What are they shopping and when are they shopping it? So, you know, the moment, uh, one of our buyers walks into a room and looks at the product selection, everything that they pull is really thinking about the NetApp Porter point of view and what they know our customer is gonna fall in love with. So that's kind of where it all starts. And then of course, when you're putting the selection together, You are thinking about, okay, well we know historically this style has done really well. We know the customer is gonna love this, and then you are thinking this is quite similar to that piece. We think they're gonna love that as well. And then there's just a combination and element of gut. Mm-hmm. Something you love, that you think they're gonna love too. And I think that is probably the hardest thing to quantify because it really, there's not always rhyme or reason to it, but it's such a huge part of the buying process, going with your gut and feeling when something is gonna kind of. Be the next big thing. And you learn that with time. I think when I first started out and I was doing the buying appointments with the teams and we were looking at, you know, forecasting the season ahead, we'd say, okay, we think this is gonna be, you know, the, the next it bag. And it's funny how when you start out you think, oh, is it, and you sort of do you trust your gut as much? Whereas now there's no second guessing you immediately, you know, so it comes with time. I think you immediately walk into a show and know that is gonna be the item. And then we kind of all really guns blazing, get behind it and, bring it to the customer.

GTN 7:17

And I guess there is an element though, if you, if your team has decided this is it. I mean, and that's what the customers are seeing. There's a good chance that is gonna be,

Libby 7:26

I hope so that's, that's, I really hope so. Um, it's sort of the, the scarier part of the job, I guess. Um, but. Generally we're pretty on the money. Yeah. Which is, which is good. Um, otherwise I'm not sure I'd be sat here today.

GTN 7:44

So It is, as you say, it's as much kind of creativity as number crunching. Exactly. Yeah. I mean, how much time do you spend actually having to go through the numbers?

Libby 7:52

So, I mean, we do that every season at the beginning of the season, you know, we sit there and we look at what we've got to work with and where we wanna spend it. And then I would say it's really, you know, the buyers are getting into the detail of, okay. Where do we want to spend various bits of money on what brands? What is the strategy? So I, it's a, it's every day we're looking at the numbers every day. And if it's not planning the numbers, it's looking at, you know, how what we've bought is performing. So it's. Yeah, every second of every day. You could argue, always looking at the numbers.

GTN 8:22

I mean, how do you, you know, things have changed so much in the industry, in the last 10 years, certainly even five years. How do you find brands now? Because obviously there are fashion events like this one around the world still multiple times a year. Um, we've got Instagram now, we've, you've got showroom appointments, you've just got word on the street. Is it all of those things or where do you start?

Libby 8:45

I. It's all of those things I would say it all starts in market and actually when we, you know, when we originally go out and, you know, we book all of our appointments for the season, It is really that word of mouth, I would say, which is actually still how it starts because you might go into a showroom and you know, we've got such fantastic brand relations and you know, someone who's running the showroom might say, I've started working with this brand, we'd love for you to take a look. And that's kind of generally how the conversation evolves from there. But I would say, you know, social media is such a huge part of what we do and. We love it for that. It's made finding new brands so much more democratic. Anyone can have a profile. You can be a brand that's 10 years old. You can have just started something in your, you know, bedroom. And actually that's the beauty of what social media, particularly Instagram has bought to us. So we are constantly scouring for new talent. Um, it has meant that making sure you are bringing on the right things can be more difficult because there is so much out there. Uh, and really, you know, anyone can launch anything. And making sure that everything we launch is right for our customer is something we have to really remind ourselves to do. But I love how Instagram has made fashion so democratic and, you know, I would say that is, that's certainly where I spend a lot of my time sourcing the new brands that we're working with. So yeah, really a combination of everything. But I would say word of mouth and social media are probably the two things that we find ourselves sort of. Gravitating towards the most.

GTN 10:16

Yeah. And when you talk about the net deporte customer who do, who do you have in mind? Who, who is she?

Libby 10:21

I mean, she is, she's really, I would say she's really powerful actually. And I would say, you know, really she's someone that has got a very. Vested interest in fashion, but she also really cares about how she feels and making sure that her clothes make her feel really confident. Um, and we have customers that vary in what they do. I mean, we have everything from kind of, you know, people that are new customers that are just coming to us because they wanna buy sort of like. The hottest thing in beauty, or we have really loyal customers that actually, kind of spend all their time on net deportes, so we have a real breadth of customers. But yeah, I'd say really it's about having someone that shops with us that really caress about how fashion can make them feel. That I'd say is the way to sum up our customer.

GTN 11:12

Yeah, and it's obviously very global, which would come with its own challenges as well, I guess particularly like with the seasonal thing.

Libby 11:18

Oh yeah, for sure. I mean, we, we are a global business and so we are always making sure that we're thinking about every single climate and every single seasonality. Um, but I'd say, you know, we've got such a breadth of brands that allows us to do that. So, you know, we go to Max Mara for amazing coats. We go to Bondi Bourne for beautiful resort wear. So I think that's where it's so important that the breadth of our buy really caters to the different climates. Um, and you know, when it's summer in the uk it's, as I'm experiencing now, turning into autumn in Sydney. So making sure that we've got that seasonality right is really important to us. And. We think about that with every buy that we do.

GTN 12:00

You have to have something for everyone every minute of the day, really. Exactly.

Libby 12:02

Yeah. I know.

GTN 12:04

When you're scouting brands and when you're sort of thinking, is this the brand, there's often, from what I understand, a bit of a dance that goes on sometimes for many seasons, how, how oft, how rare perhaps is it that you see a new brand and you go, we have to have this now. Compared to, we like this brand, we're gonna see what you do for the next three or four seasons before we make a decision.

Libby 12:23

Do you know what? I'd say it's really, um, it's really 50 50 and I would say more so, um, in the last goodness, maybe post pandemic. Actually we have really, um, we've really just gone with our gut from the offset. So in September, coming this year, we are launching. Four new brands, actually, three of which are gonna be exclusive to us. And never before have they wholesaled outside of their direct to consumer. And so for us, we really wanted to just get behind these brands from the early stage. What I would say is we feel like these brands were launching are, they're really ready to go. So they've got a really cohesive offering. You know, they've got great brand experience and There's no reason for us not to pick them up at this stage. And I kind of think everyone's gut was really telling, telling us that I think we are a huge supporter of emerging talent and we really do love to pick them up at the earlier stages so that we can grow and, Support them. We've got a mentorship program called the Vanguard. But it's also making sure that the brands are ready themselves. You know, we're, we have a responsibility to make sure when we're launching a new brand, they're ready for us as much as we're ready for them. And so I think sometimes when we do do a little bit of a dance off, we're gonna wait and watch it for a couple of seasons. It's really because we wanna be responsible in our choice in launching that brand and. The last thing you wanna do is launch your brand and not feel like you can really give it, you know, all of the support that it needs. Um, so that's when it's sometimes really important to say, okay, your talent is amazing. Your brand d n a is amazing. This is how we can help you maybe build out your range. Think about your pricing. Think about, you know, the end customer and your marketing strategy before we launch you, just so that the timing. Is really right. So I'd say it's very 50 50. But over the last couple of years, yeah, we've particularly just gone with our gut and I cannot wait to see these brands launch in September.

GTN 14:25

Absolutely. Now I imagine this is, a common question for you from many different people. How do you break into this industry?

Libby 14:35

It's, oh wow. That is, that is a very common question, but I think I don't necessarily have the perfect answer. Um, I would say it is a lot about hard work and dedication. But I would also say that there is an element of luck and privilege that comes with that as well, so. You know, I was in a fortunate enough position where I had access to be able to go to university, and I was able to get, you know, a degree in a higher education. And that is not actually the case for a lot of people today. So I think you have to realize that yes, it's all about hard work, but it's also about the circumstances which life hands you sometimes. And I would say the one thing that is the most important is the experience part. You know, I went to university and, and had a degree, but what I was doing alongside that was being quite scrappy and getting internships and you know, I look back now and I, I mean I was so confident it was just emailing kind of anyone that would necessarily listen and, you know, I'd love to get experience in this area. You know, can I dress the models backstage? Can I do this? And. Like I said, I was fortunate enough to be able to get scrappy and you know, and do that. But I would say that when you are starting out, even if you have a real clear trajectory of where you are going get experience in any element of fashion, because in my role now, all of those elements are what's important. It's not just one. So I think the experience part is, is really crucial. And I think also don't be afraid to, to pivot. You might have an idea of what your North Star is, but the role I'm in now was a role I didn't even know existed when I first started. Yeah. So, you know, be nimble and think about, just what you love doing and follow, follow that in a way.

GTN 16:25

It's about the journey as much,

Libby 16:27

isn't it? Definitely. And being able to move with the journey, I think I said yes to a lot of opportunities that at the time I maybe wasn't sure whether, oh, you know, does that really align with what I wanna be doing? But the experience that you can get from that is really sort of invaluable. So, yeah, God, it's, I'm sort of like now reflecting back on where it all started. But yeah, I'd say, you know, just. Being confident, getting experience, talking to as many people as she can, and even better if you can find amazing mentors on the way that can guide you. That's, yeah, that's really important.

GTN 17:02

Who are some of yours? You mentioned Lisa Aitken already.

Libby 17:04

Yeah, she was fantastic and I mean, I honestly, I have been so fortunate to work with such incredible women. Elizabeth Funder Goltz, who was amazing, our global buying director, she was fantastic. You know, Lee Cranfield, even Allison, our president, I mean, she's such an amazing leader, so I feel very fortunate to have been surrounded by such incredible women that have supported me on the journey really.

GTN 17:26

Yeah. Do your friends and family understand really what it is that you do?

Libby 17:31

You know, I still wonder to, I still wonder to this day, Um, they do actually, I think now that now they've, now they've got it. I think to start with actually, my, my dad was always incredibly supportive of this career path, which, um, was. Quite funny thinking back at it now. Um, but no, they do understand. I think it's taking a lot of explaining and you know, as you said, it's not a really known part of the industry, which is funny 'cause it's really what makes, you know, the wheel go round is, is buying product and bringing it to the customer. Um, but yeah, I think they have finally, they have finally got it. And if not, they can listen to this podcast and hopefully Exactly, hopefully learn a little bit more about it. Oh,

GTN 18:19

and do you think there's a perception of what you do with a lot of people like buying and how glamorous it must be, and how, how does that compare to the reality?

Libby 18:28

I think there's always a perception, whether you work in fashion or I don't know, whether you are a chef or an artist or from the outside looking in, things are always very different from what they seem on the day to day. I can attest that there are really, honestly, there are really amazing, and if you wanna call them glamorous parts of the job, then you can, I'm here in Sydney. Like that in itself is such an incredible experience. But the day to day is not glamorous. It's a job. It's work. It's, you know, we are lucky to do something that we really love, but we put the hours in and, you know, It at times can be extremely exhausting as can any job when you are doing it, you know, 8, 9, 10 hours a day. So I think yes, that we're, we're fortunate that there are glamorous parts to the job and we enjoy them as we can, but do not be fooled if you think traveling to Paris, Milan, and New York is glamorous. I can confirm that it is not actually right and there's actually nothing better than, you know, at the end of a market trip just. Going home and being able to have a, a cup of tea on the couch at the end of the day. Exactly. So yeah, it's um, it's as much exhausting as it is, you know. Amazing and exhilarating as well.

GTN 19:41

'cause there is a lot of travel involved. Yeah, there is. I mean, how, how much would you be doing in any given year

Libby 19:47

when you add it all up? It could be. Anything sort of between five and six months, really, not consecutively, but you know, we do market four times a year and that four times a year is four cities, because we've got brands globally. And then you add the icing of the trips Sydney and, you know, we're a global business. So us those regional trips for us are just as important as, you know, the, the four major cities. So yeah, I'd say about five to six months of the year we end up kind of, Yeah, it's kind of on a, on a plane somewhere. Um, but it's part of the job. Yeah. And it's, it's an exciting part of the job to be able to go to these places. You know, for us, seeing our brands and the product in real life is really important. and I think that's just, how the role is really. Mm-hmm.

GTN 20:32

And it's making connections, isn't it? And building relationships as much as anything. 'cause that's what I've always found as a journalist. It's just like, it's those relationships that you build, it's, it's how you find the stories. So it's how you find the brand.

Libby 20:44

Exactly. It's so important. And also just getting a sense of the market. What I've loved about being in Sydney is not just. Seeing the shows and going to the brands, but it's, you know, speaking to you guys, what are the brands out here that you are really loving? What is everyone wearing? What are the restaurants people are talking about? What's the general sense of the climate and where people are wanting to spend their money? Um, that gives us invaluable insight that you just can't get if you're not in that city or that country. So it's as much about the market research as it is about going to the shows, doing the buy and the selection and those kind of things.

GTN 21:19

And, I guess that sort of street style thing is still, super valuable as well, isn't it?

Libby 21:24

Uh, do you mean in terms of, in terms of the people that are going to seeing what people are wearing? Oh my God, absolutely. And actually it can really change the way you see a brand. And I use the anime show as an example. We've recently started working with them and you know, we absolutely, we love our partnership with them and we've been buying it, um, in Paris. So we've been doing the selection in the showroom and we've been buying it with, you know, a very like NetApp Porter point of view. Things that we think really gonna kind of resonate with our customer. And actually going to the show on Monday just opened my eyes to the world of anime and the loyal following they have, you know, the customer base is, it's so quirky and playful and at times quite sort of loud and exciting. And actually seeing that helped me understand the brand more. So yeah, seeing the street style and like I said, what people are wearing and it's just as important as, and gives us more knowledge on how we do, how we do the buy in, the selection. Yeah.

GTN 22:21

And how, when you look at the streets of Sydney, for example, how does it compare to say the streets of London or Paris?

Libby 22:27

That's really interesting. I would say there's sort of, uh, Everything feels quite effortless here. Mm-hmm. Which I love. Um, you know, even when people are, you know, dressed up and kind of going to evening events, everything does feel quite effortless and there's a bit more of a sort of casual sensibility. I don't know if it's sort of like the climate and the fact that everything is generally a little bit more relaxed because the sun's shining. I'm not sure, but it just, there feels sort of like more of an effortless sensibility to things. And then I'd say sort of like in terms of style, There's definitely that kind of minimalistic, way of dressing. I think, you know, we've got brands like Bear Park, Essie Studios, Mattau, that feel very breezy, minimal, but still with a point of view. And then you've got that kind of more feminine, floral. Kind of vibe that's going on with like, you know, I mean, Zimmerman like an amazing brand story. Mm-hmm. Even like aime, um, you know, and that sort of world off. So those are kind of the two styles that I'm getting from being out here. But I'd just say generally things feel more effortless.

GTN 23:30

Yeah. Because even out those, you say they're sort of minimalist brands. They're quite, even though there's a lot of tailoring in them, it's,

Libby 23:37

there's a relaxed, it's relaxed. There's a, you know, It is an oversized shoulder or a wide leg p which is, you know, maybe got an elasticated waist. I mean, it's how I love to dress, to be honest. So that was the great

GTN 23:49

post covid pivot,

Libby 23:50

wasn't it? Yeah. Thank God, elasticated waist. Finally, finally, a thing. Oh, I

GTN 23:57

mean, I'm curious when you do have to travel so much, I mean, 'cause I'm always interested in how people pack. How do you pack for those trips?

Libby 24:05

I, it has taken some time, but I do have to say I have a very regimented packing process, which I'm not sure I should be proud or ashamed of. I think it's very good. Um, so my rule is to always try and pack the day of the trip. Oh wow. Okay. And that's because. If you don't and you pack the night before, all of a sudden if you add up the number of days that you are packing in your life, it becomes quite frightening. So I always try and pack the day of the trip so that It doesn't eat into the time your life around the trip. Right? Because otherwise, if you're always thinking about the trip before you're on it, it's, yeah, a bit chaotic and I just try and pack, I'm quite a simple dresser anyway, if I'm honest. I have like, I'm all about wardrobe, staples, having a few things that work to together, so I try and pack in outfits and then if it's, you know, making sure that I can wear the jacket with three other things that I've got. Um, so that's generally how I pack in outfits with the shoes, the bags to match. I pack on hangers so that when you get to the other side, oh my god, straight in the wardrobe. Do you really always, oh my god, yeah. Very light hangers. Yeah. Nothing that's like, yeah, not the wooden hangers. Not the wooden hangers. That would be a serious issue with the luggage. But yeah, the thin hangers then they go straight in the wardrobe. Um, always pack a steamer because sometimes the iron and iron board is not gonna be arriving as quickly as you need it to in your room. I'm trying to think if there's any other crazy things that I do whilst I'm packing, but no, that's generally it. And then I do tend to throw in like one or two things as that. I could just in case. Safe to say, that was more a four or five when I was coming to Sydney and I was finding out about the weather situation, but. Yeah, that, that's generally how I pack. And then on the other side, it's making sure you unpack as soon as you get home. Oh. So that's my downfall, because otherwise again, it's like you're packing the day after you're unpacking the day after. So yeah, those are my tips. And oh, they're good. I need

GTN 26:00

to tricks get onto that because I literally will get home, I can pack up, think I'm a good packer, but then I get home from a trip and I will leave that suitcase open on the floor. For like a week. Yeah. Do you know what? It's terrible. It

Libby 26:12

is, but also I just think sometimes like what's gonna happen if you leave it there? Probably nothing. Nothing. So actually that's okay too. It's

GTN 26:20

okay. But it is like, you know, in a small apartment, it's not ideal. No, I'm sure. Tell me. You're not one of those people that just takes carry on.

Libby 26:29

Oh God, no. Oh, thank God. No, I don't. Just take a carry on. Otherwise it's the toiletry situation, isn't it? Right. If you take, just to carry on. Um, so no, for this trip I did bring a carry on as well. Mm-hmm. I think going this far, far, just good to know that I would have clean underwear, at least if my luggage towards, to get lost. But no, always a big suitcase.

GTN 26:52

Okay, great. That makes me happy.

Libby 26:55

Yeah. I've not quite got to that carry on stage just yet. Yeah.

GTN 26:58

I'm always fascinated by people that can like travel over to the other side of the world for a week for very high level meetings and lots of different things and do that, but yeah, no, very impressive. Yeah. Okay. Um, so what would you say, we were talking about that kind of the limited amount of glamor in these. What people perceive to be glamorous jobs. Yeah. What would you say is the best bit of your job in terms of that 5%?

Libby 27:22

I think honestly, you know, the travel can have its challenges at times and like I said, there is nothing better than getting home and like making yourself a cup of tea and you know, just relaxing. But, The places that we get to go to. I feel really, really fortunate to have been to places like Sydney, Seoul, and just understanding, like I said, how those people are dressing and making those connections as well. With our brands, with our customers. You know, sometimes we'll travel to these places and we'll be fortunate enough to meet some of our top spending customers and I just, I love that part of it. That for me is probably the, You know, I'm doing air quotations now. Most glamorous part of the job is, is the travel and getting to see some just really incredible places that otherwise we wouldn't necessarily be able to go to.

GTN 28:08

Yeah. And tell me how many people are there on the

Libby 28:10

team within the buying team? That's a really good question, actually. God, I mean, I wanna say between sort of like anywhere up to 80, because we have, yeah. You know, we have buying assistance, buying admin assistance. We've got an amazing merchandising team. It takes a village.

GTN 28:28

Wow. I was anticipating maybe 10,

Libby 28:31

15. Oh, goodness. No. I mean, trust me, we, we don't all travel on mass. We're actually very sensible with who goes where, and we do divide and conquer. not least because we don't want everybody, you know, on a plane all at once. But, you know, we really try and, you know, be mindful about the travel that we are doing. Um, but yeah, it takes a village. Wow.

GTN 28:51

And tell me, are there any brands that you have gotten really early on in their careers and then watched Flourish that you are really kind of proud to say, you know, we had a part in that.

Libby 29:01

Yeah, I think, do you know what? That for me is actually one of the most rewarding parts of the job. It really is. So I think probably, Christopher John Rogers amazing, is actually one of our, Vanguard alumni designers. So we launched him straight, you know, straight as soon as he, as soon as he was ready for us, we were there. and we had him exclusively for the first season, which was really exciting. And I mean, watching his. Like growth as a brand has been phenomenal. You know, when we first launched him, I think it was like one rack, that he had a really beautiful, bright, bold evening wear. And I mean now he's gone on to do knitwear and so he's really building a global brand and I think that has been amazing to watch. He's also so incredibly kind and there are some members of his team that are still there that started with him from the beginning. And I just think there's something really. Really lovely about that. Peter Doe is another designer that we launched really early on the first season actually. And again, I remember finding him through Instagram and thinking, this looks like the most beautiful, like kind of curation of product that you could possibly see. And now he's, you know, just been appointed creative director of Hammit Lang. So it's really amazing. I say those two are, you know, some of my favorite designers that we were really with from the early days that we've watched Grow and Flourish, and. You know, become sort of fashion household names in a way. Yeah.

GTN 30:31

I just imagine it must be incredibly satisfying. And, how many brands do you, 'cause Netta, Porter's got like how many brands now?

Libby 30:40

I wanna say sort of, yeah, around around 700. Wow. Yeah. But I mean, when you think about the fact that we are fashion, we are fine jewelry, we're fashion jewelry, we are beauty, we're, we are lifestyle, we are a real kind of, We have a global offering in that sense. So yeah, it's an impressive number. but that grows and evolves sort of as the seasons go on. Yeah.

GTN 31:03

Now I guess we are in a different place post Covid. We've kind of, you know, touched on the elastic pants, but how do you think women want to dress today?

Libby 31:13

I think that effortless point is actually really important. And you know, I even look at how I was dressing before the pandemic and I'd say sort of three outta five days a week I was going in, in a heel boot or, you know, a heeled shoe of, of some sort. And now it feels kind of the reverse. I'm all about comfort, ease. A more relaxed sensibility. I actually just feel more confident when I'm wearing something that feels a little bit more relaxed. So I would say generally everything just feels a lot more effortless. I think people also make really considered choices now, not just in fashion, but in life. and actually, whether they're going to a social event or whether that's what to wear, I think people make considered choices, which is really important because you should always do what you want to do and you should always wear what you wanna wear. Um, and so I think that is, that's probably one of the biggest changes that I am really grateful for, that we've had. Mm-hmm. I'm so

GTN 32:08

grateful that we're wearing trainers now.

Libby 32:09

I know. Me too. I just, they also just feel so much, they make everything feel so much cooler. Right. You know, I wear suits a lot. Maybe it's, you know, the ease of them, but immediately they feel. More appropriate with a sneaker

GTN 32:25

and you just feel like you can kind of do anything?

Libby 32:27

Oh yeah. Literally. Yeah. And also, I mean, everyone's lives are so busy. You need to be able to like dash across town and do it without even thinking. So yeah, I move much quicker now post pandemic.

GTN 32:43

And so what, and for you, you know, you mentioned suits and trainers. What are the other must haves for you in your wardrobe?

Libby 32:49

Suits, trainers, basics. I'm forever wearing like a crisp white t-shirt, a crisp white shirt, you know, just those really simple. It's all about the fit and the quality. I think with those items, because you do wanna be able to wear them every day, wash them however many times you need to and just know they're gonna come out the other side looking just as smart as when you first bought them. Denim, I'm a big fan of denim is so important. So just, a really easy wide leg, straight leg, denim jean. It then goes back with the suits that I like, everything to be able to work together in my wardrobe. I'm not very good at an impulse purchase at all. Things are kind of like sat there. I'm really thinking about them. How does it fit? So yeah, really, really all about considered choices and making sure that everything works together.

GTN 33:36

Yeah. Fantastic. Yeah. Well, Libby, it's been an absolute treat to get an insight. It's been such a pleasure to insight into your world. Thank you so much. Thank you for joining me.

Libby 33:45

It's been great. No, always a joy. Thank you. Thanks.

33:51

Thanks for listening, and seriously trust me on the coat hanger tip. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love you to share with your friends and on social media and to rate and review on your podcast platform of choice. You can get in touch via Instagram at In fashion podcast. Thanks again for listening. Until next time.