Giambattista Valli will not stage a haute couture show on Monday for his Paris-based brand, raising questions about its future, WWD has learned.
According to market sources, parent company Artémis has been quietly exploring a sale of the company in recent months, the process led by banking firm Rothschild & Co.
Responding to a WWD inquiry, Artémis said Thursday that the house is “currently engaged in a thorough reflection on the organization of its activities in order to ensure their long-term sustainability,” and it confirmed that the show on the first day of Paris Couture Week would not go ahead.
A spokeswoman for Valli referred all inquiries to Artémis, the private investment arm of the billionaire Pinault family that took an initial minority stake in Giambattista Valli in 2017, assuming majority control in 2021.
Artémis also holds investments in such varied companies as Puma, Courrèges, Christie’s, CAA and the publications Le Point and Point de Vue. The company has also been looking to dispose of its stake in Puma.
Born in Rome, Valli launched his signature brand in Paris in 2005 after spending seven years designing ready-to-wear at the elbow of Emanuel Ungaro. Before that, his résumé included stints at Roberto Capucci, Fendi and Krizia in Italy.
In 2011, he took the plunge into haute couture, and once marketed a diffusion line dubbed Giamba. In recent years he made waves with his annual bridal capsule, dubbed the Love Collection and sold via trunk shows.
Valli is synonymous with feminine daywear with a Parisian accent, and grandiose eveningwear in draped chiffon and layered tulle.
Paris Couture Week runs from Jan. 26 to 29 in the French capital, with Dior and Chanel showing the first high fashion collections under new creative directors Jonathan Anderson and Matthieu Blazy respectively.
