Pinault Family’s Artémis Takes Stake in Giambattista Valli
Artémis, the investment arm of the Pinault family, has taken a minority stake in Maison Valli and looks to become a majority shareholder at a later stage.
One of Salma Hayek’s favorite designers is finally in the extended family fold.
Artémis, the private investment arm of the billionaire Pinault family, has taken a minority stake in Giambattista Valli, WWD has learned, with the potential to become a majority shareholder at a later stage.
Maison Valli was founded in 2004 and produces haute couture, the Giambattista Valli and Giamba ready-to-wear lines, has quickly gained recognition as a major fashion and luxury player. The collections are distributed through a global network of selective specialty and department stores, as well as the Giambattista Valli boutiques in Paris, Milan, Saint Tropez and Seoul.
Artémis is expected to support and contribute to the growth of Maison Valli, assisting the brand as it moves forward into a new chapter of development.
“For more than 10 years, Giambattista Valli’s creations have illustrated his sensitivity, his poetry and immense talent. The success of his house is a tremendous recognition of his artistic fiber and his know-how as an entrepreneur. I am delighted that Artémis can from now on assist this house and support its development,” said Francois Pinault.
“Artémis and Maison Valli share a same passion for art, freedom of express and creativity,” said French designer Giambattista Valli. “With this alliance, we are uniting the excellence of two houses with similar visions, and I am truly honored to be given the opportunity to get access to the Artémis know-how in order to pursue, with the Pinault family, the story of Maison Valli.”
Patricia Barbizet, chief executive officer of Artémis, said, “In providing Maison Valli with the Artemis’ means and expertise, we are delighted to support its development and to contribute to the growth of this great company, driven by the immense talent of its designer. With this alliance, Maison Valli will benefit from the support of a professional shareholder in order to enter a new chapter and reveal its full potential.”
In 2015, it was reported that Artémis was said to have taken a minority stake in Courreges, although both parties were mum at the time. Market sources believed that Artémis acquired a stake believed to be in the region of 30 percent.
Founded by French billionaire Francois Pinault in 1992, Artémis is the investment art of the Pinault family. Artémis is the majority shareholder of the global luxury group Kering, led by Francois-Henri Pinault. It also owns the auction house Christie’s; several prestigious vineyards, including Chateau Latour; the luxury cruise specialist Ponant; the Fnac Darty group; the weekly Le Point, and the Stade Rennais Football Club, among other assets.
Further, Artémis owns Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana in Venice, which are the exhibition sites of Francois Pinault’s contemporary art collections. A third exhibition center is slated to open in 2019 in the Commodities Exchange building in the Paris city centre.
Valli has been one of the 15 permanent members of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture since 2011.
For his fall ready-to-wear show presented in March, Valli was thinking of a woman who skips from working out to going out by throwing on a jacket and a pair of stiletto boots. “It can be today’s version of a Parisian petite robe noire,” he explained, using the French words for “little black dress.” To conjure this mythical woman, who may or may not actually exist, Valli sent out “frothy dresses in a palette of black, white and lipstick red, sprinkling in shoulder flounces, peplum skirts and sheer corset belts for a flirty boudoir vibe,” WWD wrote.