DAILY LUXURY

VIDEO Valentino S/S 2007
Fashion legend Valentino will celebrate 45 years in the business with a travelling exhibition starting next July.The exhibit will showcase the historic creations and highlights of his lengthy career, including some of his best-known designs. It will start in Paris, where the 74-year-old stylist has presented a number of collections in recent years. "We're looking at Paris because it has welcomed Valentino with such great spontaneity and enthusiasm," explained Giancarlo Giammetti, his business partner and lifelong companion . Unlike the celebrations for his last big anniversary five years ago, which centred around a single lavish party in Hollywood, the 2007 event will take in a number of major cities around the world

In 1998 Valentino sold his company for 300 million dollars to Holding di Partecipazioni Industriali which then sold it to another Italian luxury goods company, Marzotto . Two years ago Marzotto successfully listed the Valentino fashion house on the Milan stock exchange.
Today, a year after splitting from the Marzotto group, Valentino Fashion Group is looking to expand, and find partners... Michele Norsa, director with the company for 9 years left last july - he was credited with Valentino’s turnaround and the role he played in the Marzotto SpA spin-off of its fashion businesses into the Valentino Fashion Group. Antonio Favrin, current director ad interimdeclares that he would like to strike up an alliance with "somebody likely to help us face the international market" (II Sole 24 Ore)
It is also questioning how long designer Valention Garavani will remain with the fashion house he founded 44 years ago. According to WWD, sources close the company say that chief operating officer Matteo Marzotto of Valentino SpA has begun his search for a successor.

Valentino Fashion Group closed the first semester with a turnover of 926 million € (up 14%), and wishes to accelerate its progression, especially in emerging markets with strong economic growth. Valention Fashion Group manages Roman brand Valentino, as well as Hugo Boss, Missoni and Malboro Classics. M. Favrin also declared that the group "has a distribution channel that enables significant synergies with other brands", he does not rule out aqcuisitions.