Federico Marchetti
Founder of YOOX; chair of the SMI Fashion Task Force
Federico Marchetti is the Italian entrepreneur who founded YOOX in 2000 and, through its 2015 merger with Net-a-Porter, created the world's largest online luxury fashion retailer of its time. Since leaving the company in 2021 he has chaired the Fashion Task Force of the Sustainable Markets Initiative and joined the board of Giorgio Armani in 2025.
| Role | Chair, Fashion Task Force of the Sustainable Markets Initiative |
|---|---|
| Founded | YOOX (2000) |
| Previously | Chairman and CEO, YOOX Net-a-Porter Group (until 2021) |
| Board | Giorgio Armani (since 2025) |
| Born | 1969, Ravenna |
Who is Federico Marchetti?
Federico Marchetti, born in Ravenna in 1969, is one of the pioneers of luxury e-commerce. He founded YOOX, led YOOX Net-a-Porter Group as chairman and chief executive, and now works on sustainability and technology in fashion as chair of the Fashion Task Force of the Sustainable Markets Initiative. He studied economics at Bocconi University and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Career
Marchetti founded YOOX in 2000, at a time when most luxury brands considered the internet incompatible with exclusivity. The company sold end-of-season designer fashion online and later ran official online stores for many luxury houses. Key milestones followed:
- 2009: YOOX listed on the Milan stock exchange
- 2015: merger with Net-a-Porter, creating YOOX Net-a-Porter Group
- 2018: Richemont acquired full control of YOOX Net-a-Porter
- July 2021: Marchetti stepped down as chairman and chief executive
After leaving the company he took on roles linked to sustainability and culture, including trustee of The King's Foundation and of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance. In 2025 he was appointed to the board of Giorgio Armani and published his memoir The Geek of Chic.
Federico Marchetti and technology
Marchetti's career has been defined by the use of technology in luxury fashion. Beyond e-commerce, his current work focuses on traceability. The Fashion Task Force, set up in 2021 within the Sustainable Markets Initiative, launched a digital passport for fashion products in October 2021, presented around the G20. The system uses product data to give customers transparency on sustainability credentials and lets manufacturers, brands, retailers, resellers and recyclers trace items through their life cycle, supporting circular services such as repair and resale.
The task force quotes him as saying that the fashion industry "has to use technology to put sustainability at the very heart of its operating models".
Influence on the fashion business
YOOX helped persuade luxury houses that online sales could protect rather than damage their image, and its model of operating brands' own web stores became a template for outsourced luxury e-commerce. The 2015 merger brought together the two main European players and shaped the competitive landscape that later included Farfetch and Mytheresa, which itself acquired YOOX Net-a-Porter in 2025.
Why it matters
Marchetti is one of the few executives who has shaped both the digital commerce and the sustainability agenda of luxury fashion. His seat on the Armani board places him in a key governance role at one of the largest independent Italian fashion houses.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Federico Marchetti?
Federico Marchetti is the Italian founder of the online luxury retailer YOOX, which merged with Net-a-Porter in 2015. He led YOOX Net-a-Porter until 2021 and now chairs the Fashion Task Force of the Sustainable Markets Initiative.
What has Federico Marchetti said about technology and sustainability?
Marchetti argues that fashion has to use technology to put sustainability at the centre of its operating models. Under his chairmanship the Fashion Task Force launched a digital product passport in 2021 to make product life cycles traceable.