Hind's Holding Industriale acquires embroidery specialist Rilievi

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Cassidy STEPHENS

Published
Sep 8, 2022

Hind's Holding Industriale (Hind) is strengthening its made in Italy luxury division with a new acquisition. The Italian investment company is entering the sector of specific techniques and workmanship, setting its sights on the Rilievi Group, a company specialized in the development and realization of high-end embroidery.

The deal, of which the amount was not disclosed, was finalized via its subsidiary Holding Moda which now holds the majority stake of the Bologna-based company, renowned for its excellence in the trimmings and embroidery industry. The company, which also has headquarters in Mumbai, India and a showroom in New York, supplies major fashion brands such as Celine, Fendi, Balenciaga, Dolce & Gabbana, Loewe, Giorgio Armani, Prada and more.

The story behind Rilievi is quite remarkable. It started in 1991 in a small workshop with seven young women (Simona Finelli, Stefania Marocchi, Monica Guidicini, Carmen Polidoro, Angela Morea, Isabella Landini et Michela Dall’Olio) at the end of a high-level masters degree created by the Confederazione Nazionale dell’Artigianto (CNA), which represents small and medium craft enterprises in the aim of passing on the art of handmade embroidery to new generations.

Once the atelier was created customers soon arrived. Within a few years Rilievi became a genuine company with a strong international presence, opening in 2016 its headquarters and production center in India. Rilievi currently employs 200 people and generates a revenue of €12 million.

At the head of the company are currently two of the founders -- creative director Stefania Marocchi and sales director Simona Finelli -- as well as managing director Michele Galliano. The trio will continue to be active within the company alongside Giulio Guasco, Holding Moda’s managing director, who will support them in both strategy and managing operations, said Hind in a press release.

"This acquisition represents a new frontier in the strategy of diversification and integration of our offer. We are entering the world of specific techniques with a synergistic and coherent project, in line with our long-term industrial vision aimed at promoting the development of companies that represent the excellence of made in Italy", commented Hind's founder and president, Claudio Rovere.

Rilievi is Hind's ninth operation in the Italian fashion sector, with Holding Moda regrouping the high-end ready-to-wear manufacturers Famar and Albachiara; the shoe manufacturer Valmor; the denim specialist Project Officina Creativa; Uno Maglia, a manufacturer of jersey garments; Alex & Co, a supplier of ready-to-wear garments for luxury houses; RBS, specializing in sleeves and trousers, and the leather goods manufacturer Gab. The group has a turnover of €176 million with a workforce of almost 700 people.