Valentino is expanding its global network, says CEO Stefano Sassi

We are super aggressive in building our own network. The brand is doing very well - last year we increased our revenues by 35 per cent, so it's the right timing. A larger retail network will enhance the brand's visibility worldwide. We decided to have flagship stores in major fashion capitals such as New York, Hong Kong and Rome to maximise visibility.

Not so long ago, Valentino was known mainly for ready-to-wear collections. Today, the experience of Valentino includes leather accessories, menswear, jewellery and more. We are ready to offer a complete experience for customers. Valentino is a lifestyle brand. Despite the expansion in product categories, we only concentrate on our core businesses. There won't be kidswear, furniture or home accessories. We focus on our own categories which we believe still have room for improvement.

When I joined the company at the end of 2006, it was when Mr Valentino decided to move on and right before the financial crisis hit. It was like the perfect storm and I was in the eye of it. Valentino has always been recognised as a high-end fashion house. One of the major issues was to translate these great values of Mr Valentino during his 50 years of work into something contemporary. All product development, in terms of style and creativity, were aimed at changing the perception of the brand. Our creative directors [came up with a cool image] for the brand in terms of product development, campaigns and fashion shows. They reinvented the language of Valentino. We target a different customer base now - women in their 30s or 40s or even younger. It's the perception of the brand that has changed dramatically. If you send out the message consistently and keep up the brand philosophy, people will come.

Haute couture is the key to our history. We need haute couture to be successful. It's a way to position yourself, to tell the world about your roots. We believe haute couture is very much alive and can be financially successful. We increased our performances in haute couture by more than 50 per cent from 2013 to 2014. It's something people covet. China is a market that's opening up to haute couture, on top of traditional markets such as the Middle East and Russia. There's a [huge] potential for haute couture. Our strategy has [targeted] a younger customer base.

So far, we have not really been affected. I think the anticorruption measures in China are affecting menswear more than womenswear. Despite the few issues around the world, the company is still growing very fast. We will always [focus on] quality, excellence, craftsmanship. We will also keep emphasising the maison's strong values.