Luxury etail giant Net-A-Porter has enlisted a local powerbroker to spearhead a new global venture.
The company confirmed Australian Gabriele Hackworthy has joined the editorial team as fashion director of its new division: Net-A-Porter Group Media.
Hackworthy's most recent role was as fashion director at Harper’s Bazaar UK, and she has also previously worked as fashion director of Vogue Australia.
Hackworthy will join editor-in-chief Lucy Yeomans, and vice president media and publishing Tess Macleod Smith, who will head the new media division. Macleod Smith will report into executive chairman and founder Natalie Massenet, and CEO Mark Sebba.
Net-A-Porter Group Media will operate across the Net-A-Porter, Mr Porter and The Outnet businesses.
For Net-A-Porter this content will first take the form of a “new look” digital magazine – 'The Edit' – which launched this month and will be published weekly, providing globally accessible content.
The title will aim to increase the site's current global subscriber base of 1.5 million, with a new print magazine to also launch in addition to the digital publication in autumn this year. The print magazine will be sold on newsstands and via subscription.
Net-A-Porter confirmed that Australian brands such as Zimmermann, Camilla and Marc, Lover, Dion Lee and Sass and Bide that are stocked on the site, will also be used as part of the editorial content.
The editorial content for brother site Mr Porter, led by editor-in-chief Jeremy Langmead, will continue to take the form of weekly digital publication 'The Journal' and the printed The Mr Porter Post.
However, the company confirmed that The Mr Porter Post is set to double in size and increase publication frequency to six times a year, with the print run expected to double by more than 130,000.
This is in addition to the launch of the first 'Mr Porter Paperback' – an annual publication currently being sold on the site and via key retailers worldwide such as Colette and J.Crew.
The Outnet will continue to publish editorial content fortnightly via its digital platform, 'Dress Me'. Content across the site includes: ‘how to wear’ styling advice, interviews with fashion insiders and celebrities, and video-based styling tips from in-house editors.
Commenting on the launch of the new division, Macleod Smith said the company will also continue to integrate mobile, digital and print to take advantage of the changing market.
“I am excited to be leading the development of media at the Net-A-Porter Group, especially at a time when the publishing industry is at the crossroads of great change,” she said.
“From a brand perspective we have unparalleled global reach and offer a valuable conduit to the world’s most engaged luxury consumers. Our mission is to publish globally anytime anywhere – at the click of a button, touch of a screen or turn of a page. Our consumers are hungry for authoritative content and are increasingly looking to us to provide it.”
As part of the global cross-platform business, Macleod Smith will also lead a new creative solutions department specialising in mobile and tablet innovation.