Mumbai police files FIR against Italian designer Valentino

Mumbai Police has registered an FIR against Italian fashion design brand Valentino, its billionaire founder Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani and some officials, based on a complaint filed on behalf of an Indian-American fashion designer, on the directions of a metropolitan magistrate.

The magistrate on July 7 directed the police (Matunga police station) to register an FIR, saying a perusal of the complaint and documents annexed by the complainant reveals that "the cognisable offence has been committed by the proposed accused".

The charges against Garavani and seven others include assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, criminal breach of trust, cheating, criminal intimidation, and criminal conspiracy under Sections 354, 409, 420, 506 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).


The complainant, one Pradeep Kumar Sharma, approached the court saying he had filed a complaint on behalf of an Indian-American fashion designer and manufacturer on June 15 but the police was yet to register an FIR.

The complaint, accessed by ET, alleged that a few years back Garavani had approached the New York-based designer, who also owns a house in Mumbai, asking her to present her designs to him and later offered her work.

Soon after the designer started working with the global fashion house, two officials of Valentino including a woman, who has been booked by the Mumbai Police, started "harassing and troubling" her "by threatening her that if she did not provide expensive gifts or sexual favours, they would discontinue her contract with Valentino", it alleged.

It further alleged that officials of the fashion brand "started extorting money in cash and in the form of expensive gifts (luxury watches) under the threat of allowing" the designer to "continue her business with Valentino".

The matter was reported to the general counsel of Valentino via an email in 2020 but no action was taken by the authorities of the global fashion house, it claimed.

A copy of the said email was annexed with the complaint and seen by ET.

An email sent to Valentino seeking comments remained unanswered till press time Wednesday.

The complainant claimed to be in possession of an audio conversation where a Valentino official allegedly admitted to the designer that the official was an accomplice in "stealing and misusing" her unique designs.