Valentino's here! Reliance Brands signs agreement with Italian firm

Reliance Brands has signed a long-term distribution agreement with Maison Valentino and will open its first boutique in Delhi, followed by a flagship store in Mumbai. 

The first store is set to open this year by the end of summer and the Mumbai store will open in the following months. Maison Valentino will stock womenswear, menswear, footwear, and accessories of the brand. 

“The new long-term distribution deal will allow the brand presence through a renewed store concept geared toward adapting to the changes in the retail market. Experiential design will provide customers with a global experience and a bespoke client experiential journey,” Reliance Brands said in its release. 

Founded by Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti, Valentino has gone through impactful creative evolution under the current Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli and Chief Executive Officer Jacopo Venturini heralding the brand into contemporary luxury, while leveraging its heritage as the most established Italian Maison de Couture, said Darshan Mehta, managing director, Reliance Brands. 

He added, “The brand’s infectious romanticism, signature codes, and bold use of colour have strong resonance in India. This partnership will help make the brand more accessible to its Indian customers and build a new tribe of Valentino connoisseurs.”

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In Delhi, Valentino will open a 162 square metre boutique in DLF Emporio, which will carry Valentino women’s collections and an edited selection of men’s accessories, while the Mumbai flagship will carry the complete range across womenswear, menswear, footwear, and Valentino Garavani accessories of the brand that include shoes, bags, small leather goods, eyewear, scarves, ties, and fragrances. 

The brand is currently present in over 144 locations through 212 Valentino directly operated boutiques and over 1,300 points of sale.

“The upcoming store opening represents a significant step in Valentino’s global strategy, and we are honoured to be part of the country’s growing retail market, allowing the company and the Valentino community to grow in a solid way, according to our values and brand culture,” said Venturini, CEO, Maison Valentino. 

He added, “According to the new business model, we are leveraging the strong relationships between the brand, its salesforce, and the customers, hinged on our couture values — obsession with detail, creativity, and client centricity — that together with human capital and teamwork are at the core of the company culture and the main drivers of its evolution. We look forward to bringing Valentino’s renowned collections and our one-of-a-kind customer journey mindset to India.”

Reliance Brands is a subsidiary of Reliance Retail Ventures — the retail arm of billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Group.

It began operations in 2007 with a mandate to launch and build global brands in luxury to premium segments across fashion and lifestyle. It has a portfolio of brand partnerships with leading global brands, including Armani Exchange, Burberry, Canali, Coach, Diesel, Dune, Emporio Armani, Gas, Giorgio Armani, Hamleys, Hugo Boss, Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors, Versace, Villeroy & Boch, and West Elm.