Valentino Starting Men's Line

With a new financial backer to support its growth, Valentino is developing its men’s wear business with plans to open dedicated stores around the world.

After putting their design stamp on the brand’s women’s and couture divisions, creative designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli have been applying their touch to the men’s category in order to convey the same Valentino message. Accordingly, the designers have elected Paris as the location for their fall men’s show and will unveil it on Wednesday at the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, after two seasons in Florence at the men’s trade show Pitti Uomo.
“Florence was fantastic, but Valentino is connected to Paris historically, it’s always shown there and we want to offer a global vision of the brand,” said Chiuri in an interview here, where the company was holding an event to present its Camouflage capsule collection with artist Liu Bolin during Men’s Fashion Week.


Valentino’s men’s division accounts for between 7 and 8 percent of total sales, and Sassi said he was looking to expand the category so that it would account for 10 to 15 percent of sales in three to five years. “Through a very qualified distribution, we plan to retrieve a consistency and credibility that was lost,” said Sassi, revealing that there are plans to introduce a men’s fragrance soon.