Dive Brief:

• Tom Ford is partnering with upscale e-retailer Net-a-Porter to sell its ready-to-wear collections online for the first time.

• Like many upscale fashion brands, Tom Ford so far has only sold accessories, makeup, and eyewear online, leaving ready-to-wear sales to brick-and-mortar.

• The announcement is a coup of sorts for Net-a-Porter, for which new owner Yoox Group says it has grand ambitions. 

Dive Insight:

Truly upscale brands like Tom Ford have not waded much into e-commerce, preferring not to drive their moneyed customers away from stores or to muddle their brands.

This move by Tom Ford says as much about its confidence in Net-a-Porter as it does about its own ambitions. And the partnership will likely benefit both immensely, now that pent-up desire for Tom Ford’s availability online finally has an outlet. If successful, it could be a catalyst for other luxury brands to expand their usually small e-commerce presence.