I started my first business while I was still at university, developing management software for the fashion industry. I then launched a footwear business and moved to London, where I opened my own boutique.
It was while holding appointments in Paris that I had the idea for Farfetch. Independent boutiques were struggling without an online presence. As the popularity of online shopping increased, larger retailers were taking most of the customers.
My idea was to offer independent fashion boutiques the chance to compete with the powerhouses by coming together as a community on one platform.
The boutique owners are free to concentrate on their buying, enabling them to retain their individual brand identity.
The appeal of launching this platform online was that it enabled these boutiques to reach a global, fashion-forward audience, therefore giving them a bigger and more varied customer base.