DUBAI — Italian luxury leather goods house Valextra has opened a new flagship in Dubai Mall’s Fashion Avenue, marking a significant expansion for the Milan-based brand.
“The Middle Eastern customer is extremely sophisticated and has a very long understanding of luxury,” Valextra’s chief executive officer Xavier Rougeaux said in an interview with WWD. “There is a high level of taste and appreciation for quality craftsmanship, but also a sense of understatement, and a real sense of luxury rather than just trends or fashion.”
The Dubai Mall opening follows strong business with customers from the region.
“We already enjoy a quite important clientele within our flagships in Europe,” Rougeaux noted. “Specifically in London, the majority of our clientele are from the Middle East, whether they are residents or having a holiday in London.”
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He added that the brand’s pop-up during the festive season last year at Harrods was valuable for understanding clients from the region. “We were there for five months and the connection we created with the Middle Eastern customer was absolutely incredible.”
The natural next step for the brand was a flagship in the region.
In the last year, the company has seen 14.7 percent growth in its direct sales channel, via retail stores and e-commerce in the last year, Rougeaux said.
“Dubai Mall is an incredible place and shopping experience,” the executive opined. “I think it’s probably one of the most prestigious and lifestyle-oriented destinations that you can find around the world because of everything you have in one place, all the shopping, beautiful restaurants, cafés, family entertainment. You can spend days and days here.”
The Valextra flagship, opened in partnership with Dubai-based Mizzen, reflects the brand’s Milanese heritage through architectural elements that pay homage to the city’s iconic landmarks.
“Discreet elegance is very much in the DNA of Valextra. It’s important that when someone enters the store we bring that feeling alive in a way,” Rougeaux explained. “We worked with Milanese architect Andrea Tognon for a beautifully thought-through store design. At all our boutiques around the world we have the same concept, taking into consideration local ways and culture in each new location.”
The design balances artisanal craftsmanship with urban elegance. A dramatic pink marble entrance echoes the Duomo’s facade, while an Andrea Branzi sculpture titled “Inclusion A” greets visitors. The interiors, framed by curved walls inspired by the brand’s original Milan boutique, feature engineered plaster, bronze accents, rich green carpeting, with sumptuous mauve sofas creating what Rougeaux describes as a “modern yet comfortable atmosphere.”
“With the Dubai Mall store experience we really wanted that the clients are welcomed with the local sense of hospitality,” he said.
The boutique debuts several new collections, including the Iside wicker line, alongside a curated selection of the brand’s Milano handbags. Cross-body bags have proven particularly popular for the brand, reflecting the brand’s heritage of combining aesthetics combined with functionality.
“Those were designed as part of the DNA and the legacy inherited from the founder,” Rougeaux shared. “Giovanni Fontana created the brand almost 100 years ago now and one of his mottos was that there should be no compromise on quality, but making sure that the product would be enhancing the life of our customer in a way.”
The Dubai Mall boutique will also have a bespoke service enabling clients to work directly with artisans in the atelier in Milan to create a personalized product using exotic leathers and precious stones. “I think this personalization business where clients can create something truly unique will do well in the region,” Rougeaux said.
Looking ahead, a store in Saudi Arabia is likely on the horizon. “I could very easily see within the next two to three years, opening potentially a presence in Saudi as a next step,” he said.
But the first priority remains cementing the presence and brand awareness in the region through the Dubai Mall flagship. The brand plans to engage the local community through creative and cultural experiences, including pop-up trunk shows.
For the opening, a senior artisan from Milan has been demonstrating the creation process in the store for clients. “We really want our clients to understand and appreciate the process. For example, we’re well known for the very shiny black piping that creates a beautiful silhouette for our brand. It’s very much a signature. We don’t have a logo, but this is a recognition element. What a customer might not know that we want to share is that it takes one and a half to two years for an artisan to be able to get the level of expertise to be able to do that technique.”
A measured approach to growth aligns with the brand’s positioning. “You could arguably say that Valextra is kind of the best-kept secret within the luxury world, because we are still quite niche, quite rare, which is something that we want to continue to nurture,” Rougeaux explained. “I think it’s important that the brand has a strong international presence, while it still remaining as something coveted, quite about scarcity, almost like a destination.”
