The Maria Manetti Shrem Institute for Sustainable Design, Fashion and Textiles hosted its first speaker in the Industry Seminar Series: Federico Marchetti on Feb. 4.

Introduced by Mauro Aprile Zanetti, Global Brand and Philanthropy Strategist for the Manetti Shrem Foundation, Marchetti shared how the world’s most prestigious brands play a leading role in advancing a more sustainable fashion system. By convening industry leaders such as Armani, Prada and Stella McCartney, Marchetti has fostered collaborative initiatives that position high-value fashion as a potential driver of environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

The session concluded with a lively Q&A among Marchetti, faculty and students. Though not in attendance, Maria Manetti Shrem gifted attendees with a copy of Marchetti’s book The Geek of Chic: An American Dream Italian Style.

Marchetti founded YOOX, the world’s first lifestyle e-commerce destination, in 2000, before the launch of Facebook and the iPhone. YOOX was listed on the Milan Stock Exchange in 2009; today, it remains Italy’s sole “unicorn”. In 2015, Marchetti drove the game-changing merger of YOOX and NET-A-PORTER to create the world leader in online luxury fashion. Today, the group is a unique eco-system connecting more than 1 billion people every year with the joy of luxury and fashion that lasts a lifetime and beyond. Marchetti is known for forged important strategic alliances worldwide, including in 2012 a joint venture with the French luxury group Kering, in 2016 with Mohamed Alabbar, the most visionary entrepreneur in the Gulf and in 2018 with Alibaba in China, following YOOX NET-A-PORTER’s acquisition for over 6 billion U.S. dollars by Richemont, another one of the world’s leading luxury groups. Marchetti currently chairs King Charles III’s Sustainable Markets Initiatives (SMI) Fashion Task Force.  

The Maria Manetti Shrem Institute of Sustainable Design, Fashion and Textiles drives interdisciplinary research and design innovation at the intersection of critical materiality, responsible technology, and social and cultural inclusivity to advance sustainable practices in design, fashion and textiles for regenerative futures.

The Department of Design’s Maria Manetti Shrem Institute of Sustainable Design, Fashion and Textiles is part of the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis.