On a day jam-packed with fashion business mergers and acquisitions it's been revealed that the Swiss luxury goods group Richemont is in talks to buy designer e-boutique net-a-porter.com.
It is understood that the Richemont conglomerate, which already owns the fashion label Chloé and jewellery brands Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, has bid £350m for the online fashion retailer. A deal is expected to be announced later this week, with its founder and chairman Natalie Massenet set to pocket a huge £50m. Richemont, which already owns a 29% stake in net-a-porter.com, is looking to take full control of the brand and buy out the company's shareholders, including Massenet who currently has an 18% share of the business.
In other Net-a-porter news, shoppers browsing the luxury web-based shop can now snap up items from Naomi Campbell's Fashion For Relief catwalk show, which saw Kate Moss and co take to the runway last month for charity.
For two weeks only, a selection of clothes and accessories used in both the New York and London charity fashion shows, which were held in collaboration with The White Ribbon Alliance, will be available to buy from net-a-porter.com with all proceeds going to the Haitian earthquake appeal.
This means that you could now own the Lanvin metallic-lace shift dress (as modelled by Róisín Murphy), the glittering Jenny Packham embellished gown (as worn by Dame Shirley Bassey), the Luisa Beccaria ruffled silk dress (modelled by Alexandra Burke) or the Chloé linen pant suit (worn by Tolula Adeyemi), and with it a little slice of fashion history.
Natalie Massenet said, "We have all been deeply saddened by the tragic events in Haiti and are honoured to work with Naomi Campbell to raise much needed funds for mothers and babies whose lives have been so tragically affected by the earthquake."
Go on, do your good deed for the day.
Picture: Natalie Massenet at the British Fashion Awards in December 2009.
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