Giambattista Valli cancels couture show, raising questions over Pinault’s Artémis strategy
As Paris Haute Couture Week opens this Monday, January 26, 2026, the couture house Giambattista Valli has cancelled its show, scheduled for the first day, at the last minute.
In a statement, the house of Giambattista Valli announced it will not present a haute couture show: “This decision is part of a thorough review of the organisation and priorities of its activities, undertaken to ensure the solidity and sustainability of its long-term development”.
For context: Giambattista Valli founded his eponymous house in Paris in 2005 after working at Roberto Capucci, Fendi and Emanuel Ungaro. The brand quickly established an ultra-feminine and architectural vision of couture, marked by spectacular volumes and a signature use of tulle.
Added to the Paris Haute Couture calendar in 2011, the house also develops luxury ready-to-wear, bridal lines and collaborations, including one with H&M in 2019.
In 2017, the investment holding company controlled by the Pinault family, who also head the luxury group Kering and own the Courrèges brand, acquired a stake. It became the majority shareholder in 2021, supporting a phase of structuring and development.
Late strategic decision points more to governance than to the ateliers
“In this context,” the statement adds, “the house has chosen to focus its resources on this phase of strategic and operational reflection, and to exceptionally suspend its presentation for this season.”
It can be inferred that this decision is due to a budgetary choice, as a couture show is a costly expense with a low direct return on investment. This goes beyond a simple creative adjustment and suggests a review of the entire business model.
However, the house of Giambattista Valli reaffirms “its commitment to haute couture, its savoir-faire and its clients, and will communicate later on the next steps of its calendar and activities”.
According to an article published in Glitz in May 2025, recent cumulative losses amounted to several tens of millions of euros before recapitalisation by Artémis. These figures have not been officially confirmed, nor published in freely accessible accounts. The latest available figures are several years old.
Paris Haute Couture spring/summer 2026 will take place from Monday, January 26 to Thursday, January 29, 2026.
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