What: Luxury platform Farfetch agreed to buy Violet Grey for an undisclosed sum, bringing in some more beauty expertise ahead of its planned launch into the beauty market later this year.

Why it is important: Farfetch is approaching the market in its own fashion, leaning on its a high-tech operating system that connects merchants and consumers. The platform plans to inject its own technological savvy into Violet Grey and to learn as it moves to win over the category.

While brands in general have been cautious when it comes to selling on larger platforms, Farfetch has presented itself as more of a conduit to shoppers than a competitor. José Neves has become one of the industry’s leading bridge builders, bringing brands on the platform, buying brand house New Guards Group and Browns and threading the needle to put together a partnership with Alibaba and Compagnie Financière Richemont (with backing from Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault’s Artemis) in China. The CEO is also working with Richemont to build a broader luxury platform that would link Net-a-porter, Farfetch and perhaps other luxury groups.

Farfetch acquires Violet Grey beauty business