Philippe Camperio: «ChimHaeres to debut on the stock market»

It has just been born and it already has all it takes to be the major new international luxury & lifestyle hub. ChimHaeres investment holding, the 50/50 joint venture that came to life during the meeting between Haeres capital and Chimera Abu Dhabi, is ready to impose itself on the European scene with the historic brands Borsalino, Vionnet, Fogal and Zagato, but it will soon make room for some new entries. «We have seven other investments on the table to evaluate,» Philippe Camperio, owner of Haeres equita and the person behind the relaunch of the Alessandria-based hat company in recent years, anticipated to MFF. Through the joint investment vehicle launched with Chimera, he is preparing to replicate the same success with the Vionnet Maison. The brand has in the pipeline a comeback that the entrepreneur promises will be «very disruptive, so it will not be staged in Paris». The long-term strategy includes as well the landing on the listings. «A dual listing within 5-7 years on the Abu Dhabi and Milan stock exchanges is part of our plans,» he unveiled.

How did the partnership with Chimera Abu Dhabi come about?

We have been working on this project for a year, as we started talking about it exactly in March 2022. It was a very interesting meeting, because a year ago I had already secured the acquisition of Zagato (Italian coachbuilder and car designer founded in 1919, ed.), Fogal (Swiss pantyhose brand founded in 1921, ed.), and Vionnet, and my initial plan was to lead these investments directly through my personal holding company, Haeres equita, and look for one or more investors for each deal. Then we were put in touch. However, if you typically raise the funds first and then go after the targets, we did exactly the opposite thing. We worked for a long time to define the deal, and after that we sealed the transaction last October 2022 and closed it about a month ago.

What aspects will you focus on now?

We are not an investment fund, but a private holding company with two shareholders. This means we can keep our stake for as long as we want. We have developed a strategy whereby we will replicate what we did with Borsalino, so we will take over other European brands with an important heritage and history and give them a new direction and renewed energy.

Do you already have any companies in your sights?

From day one of our operations, we have four brands in our portfolio with quite substantial funds, as well as a solid team of industry veterans, including Antonella di Pietro, Alberto Nathansohn, Giacomo Santucci and Jérôme Macario, allowing us from the outset to be credible in the market. We are currently evaluating 7 new possible investments, four in Italy, two in the Uk and one in Switzerland. We hope that within the year at least three or four will be successful.

Is the stock market one of your targets?

Part of our liquidity strategy will be indeed a dual listing withing 5 to 7 years from now on the Abu Dhabi and Milan stock exchanges. The former because it is growing in a very interesting way and has a sophisticated investor base, the latter because it is the quintessential home for luxury companies.

What will be the relaunch strategy for the Vionnet maison?

It will be a surprise, but I can anticipate that the relaunch will be based on three pillars. In 1921, Madeleine Vionnet gave an interview in which she talked about sustainable development, women’s liberation, and how the textile industry would become very polluting. It is incredible to think she said this 100 years ago. This is what I call being a visionary. All three issues are very important nowadays, especially for the younger generation, so the intention is to relaunch Vionnet by talking about these themes to a new community.

Are you returning to Paris’s catwalks?

The relaunch model will be very disruptive, so it will not be shown in Paris. It will be very original and contemporary, but for now I cannot reveal any more details. It will be a surprise. We have been working on this relaunch for about 4 months now, and it will take another 8 or 10 months to come back to the market, but we have big things coming. It will be very interesting.

How is the Borsalino relaunch going?

We are very pleased with Borsalino’s growth at a rate of 25-30% per year. We have a big expansion plan at the retail level, and in the next few days we will open a store in Forte dei Marmi. We also have more openings planned in London, New York, and Miami, but we still have to find the right location. We are extremely enthusiast about the new partnership we have formed in Japan, and we will continue with the collaborations, which have been very successful. We are working on a third drop with Valentino.

Following the new partnership with Chimera, will you be focusing particularly on the Middle Eastern market?

They are very forward-thinking, they have both a local and an international vision, and they are very focused on luxury. However, they are definitely a relevant player in the area, and this will come in handy for us to operate in emerging markets such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the Uae.

Before you met with Chimera, did you receive any other proposals?

We have been working very hard on the Borsalino relaunch, and in the last two years we have been approached by many investors who wanted either to invest in the brand or in our business model, which involves selecting brands with an important heritage and give them a new direction. We had different opportunities, but I realized they were the right partners because we shared the same values, strategy, and vision. This gives me a lot of peace of mind that this can be a long-term partnership. I am a solo entrepreneur, not a hedge fund, and it was very important to find someone who shared the same values and energy as me. (all rights reserved)