MR PORTER - Building a Global Luxury Brand from the Ground Up

Katja Noschis Delaloye was hired by Natalie Massenet, in 2009, to launch MR PORTER, in the capacity of: Buyer and Business Developer

The brand identity was created by Jens Grede and Erik Torstenssen of the Saturday Group.

During the build-up phase, she collaborated closely with marketing, UX, IT and merchandising teams to define:

  • The brand positioning and tone of voice

  • The business persona and customer profile

  • The merchandising & pricing strategy

  • The features and functionalities of the website

As Buyer, she curated the entire launch assortment. When the site went live in 2011, she had personally sourced around 80% of the 60 launch brands — including Gucci, Burberry, Balenciaga, Maison Martin Margiela, Balmain, and ACNE — shaping the commercial identity of the platform.

She later managed the Classic Menswear department for three years.

A line of models standing on a runway during a fashion show, dressed in various outfits. The background shows an indoor setting with chairs, and the image is part of a magazine layout about the history of male fashion.

Why this experience matters for Couture Consultancy

MR PORTER gave Katja a unique understanding of how strong brands are built, long before “content + commerce” became the industry standard. Today, this experience directly informs her consulting work:

  • Positioning & storytelling: Seeing how positioning affects every touchpoint — assortment, visuals, copy, UX — allows her to help brands define a clear, cohesive identity.

  • Assortment & offer strategy: Curating the launch assortment of a major global platform trained her to identify hero products, pricing logic, and market-fit — knowledge she now uses to help brands structure their collections.

  • Cross-functional brand building: Working with design, UX, marketing, PR, buying and tech taught her how to align creative direction with commercial strategy — the core of Couture Consultancy’s methodology.

  • Luxury market insight: Years spent building a menswear business from scratch provided a deep understanding of consumer behaviour and what drives conversion, loyalty, and brand desirability online.

In short: MR PORTER was the foundation of Katja’s strategic, editorial and commercial approach — the same approach she brings today to every brand she works with.

List of fashion brands organized in three columns titled 'The Brands'
Page titled 'The Press' with various quotes from different news outlets about Mr. Porter and a new online menswear site, featuring text in a simple layout with large title.