AZ Factory, led by Alber Elbaz, will present its first product stories on January 26, at 8 pm CET as an invited guest member of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. The new joint venture between Alber and Richemont is pioneering a first in the luxury fashion world: it will launch worldwide with an exclusively digital and entertainment-driven approach, in an innovative format that promises to be educational, emotional, and of course, beautiful. In addition to its own direct-to-consumer website, AZ Factory has also announced today that it will go to market exclusively on FARFETCH and NET-A-PORTER.
I’ve dreamt for years about a fashion reset to care, and that dream is even more relevant today at a time when people cannot be together. The world is changing fast, and we are all adapting to new behaviors and emotions. This dreams factory is focused on developing real solutions for today’s women. It is a product-focused and a communications-focused project, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to bring it to the world in a fabulous, entertainment-driven way with two of the leaders of the digital luxury world, FARFETCH and NET-A-PORTER. — Alber Elbaz
In addition to the commercial availability of its first products on the two platforms, AZ Factory highlighted two special experiences that will bring the brand story to life via interactive, content-led concepts that are unique to each online player’s own DNA and audience. The AZ Factory World Tour, an immersive, virtual experience, will go live at Farfetch.com immediately after the AZ Factory launch on January 26. NET-A-PORTER will present a live broadcast of the Talk Show with Alber Elbaz & friends on January 27 at 3 pm CET.
“Alber’s vision for AZ Factory is truly original. He has created a wholly new approach to launching a brand at a time when our industry is evolving and consumers are looking for escapism. With a shared belief that fashion should be joyous and uplifting, he captured our imagination to create ‘The Talk Show with Alber & Friends’; an irreverent spin on an analogue TV format inviting VIP guests to discuss what makes us happy through the themes of fashion, science and body positivity. Perfect for our times, and the NET-A-PORTER community alike.” – Sheena Sauvaire, Chief Marketing Officer, NET-A-PORTER.
“We were so inspired by Alber, and the innovative approach he is taking to creating AZ Factory. The values of the brand – love, trust, respect, and treating customers as friends, along with the desire to experiment and try new things, resonated strongly with our own values. This shared approach was really behind the inspiration for the AZ Factory #worldtour. In a world where we can’t physically be together right now, the next best thing was to use our creativity and technology to bring our customers on tour and let them jump on board, take a tour of the incredible collection, and help spread a feeling of joy and togetherness.” – Holli Rogers, Chief Brand Officer, FARFETCH.
About ‘The Talk Show with Alber & Friends’ on NET-A-PORTER
NET-A-PORTER presents ‘The Talk Show with Alber & Friends’ hosted by Alber Elbaz, a very special co-anchor and VIP guests, livestreamed from Paris on NET-A-PORTER's Instagram and YouTube channels at 3pm CET, January 27.
‘The Talk Show’ celebrates the launch of AZ Factory, a laboratory of dreams that creates fun, innovative solutions for womenswear, representing a disruptive evolutionary step in the fashion industry. In the talk show, NET-A-PORTER will look at why chasing society’s beauty standards doesn’t work, and how the simple act of dressing up makes us feel our best.
About the AZ Factory #worldtour on FARFETCH
After meeting with Alber who had dearly wanted to gather friends and lovers of fashion together during couture week and host a ‘pop up’ truck on Avenue Montaigne, FARFETCH was inspired to create the next best thing, given we can’t all be together in real life right now. FARFETCH will launch the AZ Factory #worldtour, only on FARFETCH. The immersive experience will allow fashion lovers to ‘hop on’ the truck in cities online, virtually tour the AZ Factory, and explore the AZ Factory products in 3D for themselves.
In addition to this, FARFETCH has taken a technology-forward approach to the shopping experience for AZ Factory, creating an immersive and content-driven experience. Customers will be able to 'virtually try on' AZ product while browsing, and separately, Augmented Retail (AR) technology, powered by the company’s startup partner, Zeekit, will mean customers can also see how the products look on different sizes and skin tones, before they buy.