- Vette will launch in early 2026 as Condé Nast’s boldest move into creator-led commerce.
- The platform will let influencers operate independent storefronts, with Condé Nast handling transactions and brands fulfilling orders.
- AI-driven tools will support creators with merchandising, audience insights, and marketing optimization.
- Unlike affiliate models, Vette provides creators with direct data access and a revenue share model to improve monetization.
- Condé Nast sees Vette as a new distribution channel for brands, offering alternatives to wholesale and costly DTC strategies.
- The platform enters a competitive market dominated by LTK and ShopMy, but leverages Condé Nast’s editorial credibility to differentiate.
- Vette reflects a broader shift in e-commerce toward influencer-driven shopping experiences built on trust and personalization.
Aims to compete with LTK and ShopMy by offering creators their own e-commerce storefronts.
Condé Nast, the publisher behind fashion powerhouses like Vogue and Vanity Fair, is preparing to take its most ambitious step into the creator economy with the launch of Vette, a creator-led commerce platform set to debut in early 2026.
The initiative underscores how legacy publishers are evolving beyond media and advertising into infrastructure that supports influencer-driven retail. By offering creators their own curated storefronts, Vette positions itself as both a competitor to platforms like LTK and ShopMy and as a potential alternative distribution channel for brands facing challenges with traditional wholesale models.
Why Condé Nast is Betting on Creator Commerce
The move comes after years of investment in commerce content, which Condé Nast says has tripled its revenue in the past five years. With editorial “picks” and shopping guides consistently resonating with audiences, the company sees a clear opportunity to merge its editorial authority with the trusted influence of creators.
As Lisa Aiken, Condé Nast’s Executive Fashion Director and SVP of Commerce, explained,
“People shop from people. As soon as you see how those voices cut through and influence shopping … it felt like a very neat tie to what we do within Condé Nast.”
This approach reflects a broader industry trend: consumers increasingly rely on influencer recommendations rather than traditional retail experiences. Condé Nast’s entrance signals not only an expansion of its revenue streams but also a recognition that media credibility can be a powerful differentiator in a crowded creator commerce space.
How Vette Will Work
Vette will allow influencers and creators to operate their own independent digital storefronts. Unlike affiliate marketing models that rely on redirecting traffic to brand websites, Vette will process transactions directly. Brands will then fulfill orders, creating a streamlined purchase experience.
This model offers multiple advantages:
- Creators gain ownership of their audience relationships, enhanced by AI-driven merchandising and data insights that help refine product selection and marketing strategies.
- Brands benefit from direct-to-consumer fulfillment, pricing control, and a new distribution channel without the complexities of wholesale.
- Shoppers experience a more personal, creator-driven curation rather than generic e-commerce catalogs.
Aiken emphasized that the creator’s voice will be central to the experience:
“If you walk into a store, you have a sales associate that’s knowledgeable about the product … that doesn’t necessarily exist in the e-commerce space, but it can through a creator’s voice.”
Competitive Landscape and Differentiation
Vette enters a market already dominated by LTK, which has been operating since 2011, and ShopMy, which has rapidly grown in recent years. Both platforms provide influencer storefronts, but Condé Nast believes its marketplace model, combined with editorial credibility, will set it apart.
Unlike its rivals, Vette removes the friction of clicking through to brand sites and provides creators with greater access to follower data. This transparency could appeal to influencers who want more visibility into consumer behavior, as well as brands seeking to refine targeting.
However, Condé Nast is also aware of the risks. Previous attempts at commerce infrastructure, such as its 2016 Style.com shopping pivot, faltered quickly. Vette will need to prove its value in a crowded landscape while overcoming the skepticism tied to media companies’ ventures into retail.
Strategic Implications for Fashion and Retail
For brands, Vette offers an alternative to struggling wholesale channels and the rising costs of direct-to-consumer strategies. By connecting with creators who hold genuine influence over niche audiences, companies could bypass traditional retail bottlenecks while maintaining control over pricing and fulfillment.
For creators, Vette could represent a step toward greater financial independence. The platform’s revenue share model promises improved attribution and economics, moving beyond affiliate percentages toward more sustainable monetization pathways.
As Roger Lynch, CEO of Condé Nast, framed it,
“Now, we’re building on that foundation with Vette, a model that helps creators thrive and brands grow stronger connections with consumers.”
A High-Stakes Bet on the Future of Shopping
Vette is Condé Nast’s boldest attempt yet to marry the trust of legacy media with the dynamism of the creator economy. Success will hinge on whether the platform can deliver on its promises of data transparency, brand control, and authentic creator-driven shopping.
If it does, Vette could mark a turning point in how fashion and lifestyle products are discovered and purchased online. But in entering a market with established players and high expectations, Condé Nast will need more than its editorial authority to make Vette the next big destination for creator commerce.
