NET-A-PORTER Kicks Off Its “Journey Into The Art World” With An Exclusive Collection

When NET-A-PORTER added home goods to its site in 2020, it caused a noticeable stir. The expansion was timed just right; it made cool, decorative designer objects available on its platform at a moment when people were frantically updating their homes and brands were adding housewares to their selections en masse. Now, at a point when many are moving past the initial phase of updating their houses and trying to infuse uniqueness and personality, it seems the luxury e-tailer has read the room correctly yet again. Because on June 6, NET-A-PORTER is launching art in partnership with ap8.art, giving customers even more opportunity to personalize their spaces through the site.

Together with the fine art e-commerce platform, NET-A-PORTER plans to release a series of drops from various contemporary artists, starting with ten framed photographs by French artist and fashion photographer Guy Bourdin. The limited-edition collection will include Bourdin’s most iconic images, exclusively available on NET-A-PORTER’s site, with fewer than 100 units of each in stock.

Of course, given the MO of each company — NET-A-PORTER’s careful curation and luxury expertise, and ap8.art’s mission to make museum-quality artworks accessible to more — this isn’t your ordinary art drop. For this collection, ap8.art digitally verified every piece through a technique called stenographic cryptography. Each artwork is also linked to a certification code registered to the purchaser, which provides a record of the provenance and value. Additionally, all pieces are chosen to “work seamlessly together” and are framed in accordance with the artist’s standards.

“When NET-A-PORTER approached ap8.art to reimagine what collecting art could look like, I knew we had to distill all that makes art covetable and collectible,” said Viola Raikhel, curator and co-founder of ap8.art, in a press release. “Art and fashion are my two greatest passions, and I am honored to be curating for the ultimate luxury fashion destination — a pioneer of innovation and curation for an audience of millions.”

Fortunately, this collection is just the beginning. “For the launch of Art at NET-A-PORTER, our aim is to deliver our customers with the same world-class level of curation and expertise that’s synonymous with our entire buy,” said Lea Cranfield, chief buying and merchandising officer at NET-A-PORTER. “This exclusive partnership is the first step in NET-A-PORTER’s journey into the art world and we look forward to many more.”