BEIJING — Having cleared the market of copyists, and attracted by rising income levels in China, Valentino is at last ready to roll out its women’s collections on the Mainland.
The fashion house will open its first freestanding women’s wear store in China later this month, in Hangzhou.
Valentino executives visited here a few weeks ago to launch Valentino Women and take part in the opening of the “Italian Art & Italian Life” exhibition at the National Museum of China. The exhibition, part of the “Italy in China Year,” showcases the best in Italian art, design, jewelry and fashion, including 23 of Valentino’s signature red dresses.
“Four years ago, China had a lot of fake Valentinos — not counterfeits, but fake brands — so from 2002 to 2004, we worked to clean them out legally,” explained Michele Norsa, chief executive officer of Valentino Fashion Group.
The company introduced its men’s wear in Mainland China in 2004.
“Valentino uses his first name, not his surname, so it’s more common, and we have to fight more than brands using both,” added Norsa. “Once the right product is on the market, the difference is so big that people definitely know when they’re buying fakes. Asians want the real product, and want them produced in Italy.”
Valentino has three men’s wear stores in China, the oldest at Oriental Plaza here, and one each in Shenzhen and Nanjing. The brand opted to begin with men’s only because it required less initial investment and effort than women’s, said Norsa, plus Valentino’s original joint venture partner was a tie manufacturer. The company is now switching its partnership to Hong Kong’s Tiara Group, which in China is also partners with Cartier, Guess Accessories, Vartu phones and Argatta jewelry.
For complete coverage, see tomorrow’s issue of WWD.