Why emerging Asian countries could have a serious crush on Valentino, explained
Entering the Asian market is today’s challenge for many luxury brands with a strong “old world” heritage. Valentino is one of them, and emerging Asian countries could be an El Dorado, at least for Istituto Marangoni Fashion & Luxury Brand Management Master’s students, challenged to work on the luxury markets as part of the mentorship project held by Valentino’s Chief Brand Officer Alessio Vannetti.
Valentino's Chief Brand Officer Alessio Vannetti at Istituto Marangoni Milano
The race
It’s been an exciting journey for the students, looking for inspirations as gold nuggets and digging into the global market’s big data.
An Istituto Marangoni Fashion & Luxury Brand Management Master’s student discussing her group project on the Asian luxury markets as part of the mentorship project held by Valentino’s Chief Brand Officer Alessio Vanetti
The main challenge has been imagining projects to bring a historic brand, rich in heritage like Valentino, to a fast-growing Asiatic market, meeting emerging markets customer’s needs and desires, while considering a global approach.
The main challenge for the students was to come up with projects to bring a historic, heritage-rich brand like Valentino to a fast-growing Asian market
Explaining the brief, Valentino’s Alessio Vanetti first highlighted the importance of pushing the brand’s DNA globally, offering consumers a 100% brand experience. He underlined that, in this case, forging new partnerships can strengthen and broaden the transition to new countries for heritage brands like Valentino.
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The research
The students were asked to analyse the brand’s competitors in emerging market and understand their retail and distribution system to develop a branding strategy for the target.
A moment from the Grand Finale of the Mentorship Programme held by Valentino's Alessio Vannetti
A student from the Fashion & Luxury Brand Management Master's programme at Istituto Marangoni describing her group project
We have a winner
The projects presented by Istituto Marangoni students surprised Vanetti, who said he was very impressed and fulfilled after working alongside brilliant young students. “It has been a great experience,” stated Vannetti. “I have received 19 great projects, and we have analysed and evaluated them. It was a tough decision because the finalists were outstanding and carried out a thorough analysis: from ready-to-wear accessories to beauty, skincare, and all the opportunities the market could offer to Valentino.”
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“In the end, we decided with the tutors to allow having a full Valentino experience in terms of business to the group that presented a menswear project because it was extremely articulated and very complete in a way, and it was touching on the heritage and importance of bringing the heritage to the market that we’ve analysed.”
Istituto Marangoni Fashion & Luxury Brand Management Master's students Niccolò Bianchini, Valeria Mora, Benedetta Tonelli, Julia Wheeler and Alfredo Yoshimoto Shima presented the best project to I'M mentor Alessio Vannetti
So, the winners presented a menswear collection. “It was a great privilege working with Valentino, specifically receiving time and feedback from Alessio Vannetti,” explained Alfredo Yoshimoto Shima, part of the winning group with Niccolò Bianchini, Mora Valeria, Benedetta Tonelli and Julia Wheeler. These five brilliant Fashion & Luxury Brand Management Master’s students did a lot of research about Valentino’s male target audience.
What did they find out? From 2018 to 2022, the Valentino menswear customer was, on average, 20-39 years old and went to the store not only to buy clothing but also for a pleasant retail experience. In emerging Asian markets, this target audience increasingly seeks a sophisticated style: a young man who aims to buy unique items in luxury stores.
"It was a great privilege to work with Valentino, especially to receive time and feedback from Alessio Vannetti," said Alfredo Yoshimoto Shima, part of the winning group
“For our primary and secondary research, we found that the male demographic between the ages of 20 and 39 is the fastest growing sector of the market, three times bigger than the rest of the economy, specifically in the luxury goods sector,” said Master’s student in Fashion & Luxury Brand Management Alfredo Yoshimoto Shima. “We also visited the store, where we met two shop managers and learned a bit about their merchandising strategy.”
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Valentino's Chief Brand Officer Alessio Vanetti with the winning group who will have a veritable Valentino experience in the upcoming months
Agnese Pasquinelli
Fashion Business, Digital Communication & Media student, 2nd year, Milan