MILAN – A latest investment vehicle conceived with the goal to create a European luxury pole was revealed on Tuesday – and it’s poised to revive the storied Vionnet brand.

Chimera Abu Dhabi and Haeres Capital have signed a three way partnership establishing ChimHaeres Investment Holding, which is setting out with a bang. ChimHaeres has not only acquired all the capital of Vionnet, but in addition a majority stake in storied automotive designer Zagato, founded in 1919, and a majority stake in Fogal, the Swiss hosiery brand founded in 1921 by Léon Fogal.

As well as, Haeres is folding into the brand new vehicle its majority equity stake in storied hat manufacturer Borsalino, established in 1857 in Alessandria, Italy.

ChimHaeres will probably be led by chief executive officer Philippe Camperio, founding father of Haeres Capital.

“ChimHaeres embodies the shared vision of each Chimera and Haeres to construct and manage a multi-brands luxury and lifestyle platform,” Camperio said. “The partnership will put money into unique European assets applying a proactive management and ownership approach, through dedicated industry experts, to deliver the long-term strategies of every portfolio company.”

Camperio will probably be supported by a team of industry veterans, including Antonella di Pietro, Alberto Nathanson, Giacomo Santucci and Jérôme Macario, in addition to a seasoned team of experts within the operations, financial, and legal fields.

The main target of the investments will initially be on Italy, France, Switzerland, and the UK, mostly high-end and aspirational brands, aiming to speed up their growth with a give attention to international expansion, digital transformation, and sustainability.

“The worldwide luxury market has shown remarkable growth and resilience lately despite the pandemic and various macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges,” said Mirian Khalaf, head of Chimera Abu Dhabi. “We’re confident that our partnership with Haeres will enable us to capitalize on the attractive long-term fundamentals of the industry and establish ourselves as a number one investor within the European lifestyle space. We look ahead to working with Philippe and his team to position appealing ‘legacy’ and ‘next-gen’ brands with favorable growth profiles to serve a younger and increasingly more global audience.”  

Giovanni Maria Rossi was named chairman of ChimHaeres, and he asserted that the investment holding is “ideally positioned to change into a key player in the luxurious industry in Europe.”

The French high fashion label founded in 1912 by Madeleine Vionnet went through some financial setbacks lately. In 2018 the brand and its operating company NVO Srl went through a voluntary liquidation.

Goga Ashkenazi, chairwoman and artistic director of Vionnet, took control of Vionnet in 2012, when the Kazakhstan entrepreneur acquired the style house from co-owners Matteo Marzotto and former Marni chief executive officer Gianni Castiglioni. The duo first invested in Vionnet in 2009 with the intent of giving latest life to the French label.

Ashkenazi assumed the role of creative director in fall 2012, following the exit of sisters Barbara and Lucia Croce at the tip of August that yr, and staged several fashion shows in Milan. Before the Croce sisters, Vionnet was designed by Rodolfo Paglialunga, tapped by Marzotto and Castiglioni.

As reported, the Borsalino Foundation and the City of Alessandria earlier this month opened a latest museum, which is able to value the heritage of the historic hatmaker.

Haeres Capital is a privately-owned company founded in 2011, and has been fully controlling Borsalino since 2018, winning the auction arrange by Borsalino’s administrators that yr. It has since expanded the brand’s markets and distribution, establishing latest collaborations and adding other accessories similar to leather goods, ties and scarves. In 2021, it linked with Ami Paris on a co-branded collection and tested a pop-up strategy.

Zagato was founded in Milan in 1919 by Ugo Zagato, whose experience within the aeronautics sector prior to his founding Zagato Atelier contributed to the designs of a few of the world’s best Gran Turismo cars resulting from their sleek and aerodynamic configurations. Zagato has created collectible models for brands similar to Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Porsche.