Chair of King Charles III’s Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Fashion Task Force and Pioneer of Online Fashion Retail Pens New Memoir

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Chair of King Charles III’s Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Fashion Task Force and Pioneer of Online Fashion Retail Pens New Memoir

NEW YORK, August 13, 2025 — At the start of the 21st century, shopping online was still a futuristic fantasy. There was no Facebook; there were no iPhones. And yet, in the spring of 2000, Federico Marchetti invented one of the world’s first platforms for online sales—and started a company that would revolutionize the luxury fashion sector.

Published to coincide with 2025 New York Fashion Week, The Geek Of Chic: An American Dream, Italian Style (Post Hill Press; September 9, 2025; ISBN: 9798895650608; 288 pages; Original Trade Paperback) by Federico Marchetti with a Foreword by Giorgio Armani, reveals the highs and the lows of creating the world’s first online fashion company. The book is filled with surreal situations, unexpected happenings, and “sliding door” moments, including Marchetti’s humble life and extraordinary evolution:

· Born in 1969, Marchetti overcame the obstacles of his somewhat complicated childhood—leaving his small hometown of Ravenna, Italy, to pursue his dream of success in America—spurred on when he was a boy selling Mickey Mouse comics on the beach.

· After graduating from Bocconi University in Milan, Marchetti moved to New York City in the late 1990s, earning his MBA at Columbia University after having worked “like crazy” at Lehman Brothers. There, he gained an appreciation for the speed, efficiency, and reach of the internet, as one of the first generations of financiers to do online research.

· Marchetti created YOOX—a name inspired by Y and X chromosomes, combined with the 0 from the binary of the computer code, which helps high-end fashion brands gain a foothold online, and gave a second life to last season’s collections. Though he hadn’t previously worked in fashion, Marchetti seized on his competitive advantage as an Italian, raised to appreciate beauty, luxury, and quality artisanship, and soon made his mark as a leader in the industry.

· The moment he knew he “arrived,” receiving a $7.2 million investment from Benchmark Capital, which enabled him to take YOOX to America.

· Several attempts were made to merge with British competitor Net-a-Porter. In one of the most significant fashion e-commerce deals of 2015, Marchetti and Johan Rupert, the chairman of Richemont, announced a merger between YOOX and Net-a-Porter, resulting in Marchetti becoming the CEO.

· In 2018, Richemont, one of the world’s leading luxury groups, acquired YOOX Net-a-Porter for over $6 billion.

Now, the present and future of Marchetti’s life includes working on His Majesty King Charles III’s service as Chair of the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Fashion Task Force, which includes brands such as Chloé, Armani, Burberry, Cucinelli, Stella McCartney, and Prada. In a sector known for individualism, Marchetti is uniting global luxury groups around a common goal of shifting toward a circular industry that is climate-conscious and nature-positive. The King of England now considers Marchetti his consigliere on matters of regenerative fashion and digital innovation, collaborating on several initiatives and projects.

Unfolding against a backdrop of famed vistas—Milan, Lake Como, Venice, England’s Royal Palace, New York City, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Dubai—and featuring encounters with notables from Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos to Giorgio Armani and Anna Wintour, The Geek of Chic’s message is relevant to a new generation of entrepreneurs who wish to combine innovation, business acumen, and AI with humanism, creativity, and empathy: how to achieve the American dream in an Italian way. For more information about Marchetti, please visit www.federicomarchetti.com.

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TIP SHEET

The press release above may be published in part or entirety by any print, broadcast, or internet/digital media outlet, or used by any means of social media sharing.

Reviews, photos, links to previous interviews, and Q&As are available upon request. To book an interview with Federico, contact Justin Loeber at 212-260-7576 or media@mouthdigitalpr.com.

Media Contact:

Justin Loeber
Mouth: Digital + Public Relations
212.260.7576 Work
justin.loeber@mouthdigitalpr.com
www.mouthdigitalpr.com

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