MILAN — Designer Chiara Boni is exiting the fashion brand she founded in 2009 as the company was bought out by the Germanetti family, a longstanding investor.
The company said Wednesday that the Germanettis, which had owned 50 percent of the shares since 2009, have acquired the remaining 48 percent stake in Chiara Boni La Petite Robe from the designer and 2 percent from investor Boris Collardi. The Germanetti family had first acquired a minority stake in the company in 2005.
Chief executive officer Maurizio Germanetti told WWD that the development came as a result of different strategic views with the designer but sounded optimistic about fueling further growth for the company.
Maurizio Germanetti, Chiara Boni La Petite Robe CEO.
Courtesy of Chiara Boni La Petite Robe
A new creative organization will be revealed in due course, the executive said, hinting at the potential promotion of an internal designer to the creative director role. Germanetti touted the strong design team and expressed his confidence in their ability to carry the brand forward.
Known for its signature feminine and flattering frocks crafted from sustainable jersey fabrics, Chiara Boni La Petite Robe logged sales of 20 million euros in 2023, down about 12 percent compared to a year earlier, which Germanetti attributed to a normalization of the post-COVID-19 spending euphoria.
“We are doing all needed investments to grow the company,” Germanetti said. “Our goal is to double sales in three years by expanding to new markets, expanding the product offering which can no longer be confined to gowns, and opening flagship stores.”
The brand, which operates two flagship stores in Milan and Rome, is gearing up to open its third outpost in Europe by the end of the month, the executive revealed while declining to provide further details.
Chiara Boni La Petite Robe has historically boasted a strong footprint in the U.S., as well as Europe and the Middle East, but Germanetti sees the opportunity for further penetration. The brand has traditionally hosted runway shows during New York Fashion Week but returned to the Milan schedule in September last year.
Chiara Boni
Courtesy of Chiara Boni La Petite Robe