Sarah Rutson Joins Net-a-Porter as VP of Global Buying

Net-a-Porter has hired former Lane Crawford fashion director Sarah Rutson as VP of global buying. She starts January 12, 2015 in the New York City office of the U.K.-based retailer, reporting to Net-a-Porter president Alison Loehnis.

“We are absolutely delighted that Sarah will be joining our team at Net-a-Porter.com,” said Loehnis in a statement. “She has extraordinary global experience, a fantastic track record and an outstanding reputation in the industry. As we look to further penetrate our core markets and grow our global customer base, our buy will remain a key differentiator. With her years of experience in the luxury fashion business in both Europe and Asia, Sarah is uniquely positioned to lead our global buying team. An area of focus will be on expanding the designers and brands we stock to offer our customer everything she could need – and to continue to inspire her with new choices, new discoveries and the very best in customer service.”

Rutson had been men’s and women’s fashion director at the Hong Kong luxury retailer Lane Crawford for the last ten years. She joined Lane Crawford in 1993 as a women’s buyer; prior to that she was a senior buyer at Marks & Spencer.

“This is an incredibly exciting new chapter for me,” added Rutson. “Net-a-Porter.com is the benchmark brand in global retailing and I have always been inspired by their innovation, dedication to customer service and potential. The challenge of understanding different customer needs and desires in over 170 countries the site delivers to is one that I relish. My aim, together with the team, is to bring the magic of the extraordinary into the online fashion experience. We want to inspire our customers, provide for their needs, encourage their dreams and take care of them in the best way possible.”
Net-a-Porter.com was founded in 2000 as a luxury e-commerce retailer. In 2011, the Net-a-Porter Group launched Mr Porter, a site focused on menswear.

MR Magazine honored Mr Porter in July with an Uptown/Downtown Award—read am interview with managing director Ian Tansley here.