UPDATE: Valentino reportedly eyeing IPO in 2018

London - Luxury fashion house Valentino is reportedly mulling over an IPO in the second half of 2018, following the appointment of Sebastian Suhl as managing director of global markets.

Set to begin his new role at Valentino in January, Suhl impending arrival at the luxury fashion house has led to fresh speculation that Chief Executive Officer Stefano Sassi is preparing the company for an IPO during the second half of 2018, according to WWD.

Earlier this year the CEO stressed that an IPO was "not on the table" for Valentino for 2017, but added that they would see "what happens in 2018." At the time Sassi stressed that the company has decided to hold off on plans for a public listing due to market conditions, but added that if things changed, they would review the listing.

"I would not be surprised to see the IPO in the second half of 2018 although we don’t have visibility on the timing and, as usual, the IPO would depend on market conditions, whether a certain window is favorable or not," said Daniele Alibrandi, European equity research for luxury goods at Intermonte SIM to WWD. "In the first half of 2018, luxury companies will annualize really very good half-year figures for 2017, but there are no specific reasons why the overall trend should worsen — a trend that in these months is in line with the positive third quarter of 2017."

Photo: courtesy of Yoox Net-a-Porter Group/Valentino