Italian industrialists move to acquire beleaguered e-tailer LuisaViaRoma
What's the deal? A pool of Italian investors with industrial backgrounds has submitted an irrevocable offer to acquire LuisaViaRoma, the struggling Florence-based luxury e-tailer. A Florence court has already approved leasing the company's operations to LVR Srl, a newco established by the investors, to ensure business continuity through the fall 2026 season.
Who's behind it? The group is led by veteran fashion executive Paolo Corinaldesi, a former chief executive officer of WoolrichDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and CEO of FilsonDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. He created holding company ATO SpA, backed by two branches of the Marzotto family, Litokol CEO Gian Luca Sghedoni, entrepreneur Ettore Riello, and lawyer Luca Poggi, among others.
The hire: Corinaldesi was named executive chairman of LVR Srl. Current LuisaViaRoma CEO Tommaso Maria Andorlini stays in his role. "I trust Tommaso and his broad knowledge of technological infrastructures," Corinaldesi told WWD, adding: "there is no private equity involved."
Why now? LuisaViaRoma filed in March 2026 for "Concordato Semplificato," a court-mediated procedure under Italian liquidation law. This deal is the first successful step in that process, with investors expecting court approval of the outright acquisition in mid-September 2026.
What's included? The offer covers most of the retailer's assets: its e-commerce operations, white-label business, physical stores — including the flagship on Florence's Via Roma — SOTF luxury sneaker stores, 181 employees, stock, technology and the trademark. It excludes the New York flagship, which opened in NoHo in 2024 and quietly closed in May 2025.
What's the endgame? Corinaldesi said the business needs restructuring across its core units, built on three pillars. He wants a more curated buying approach, a focus on up-and-coming talent, and deeper integration of product, editorial content and technology.
"We don't want to work with too many brands; we want to lean into a more curated approach," he said. "Over the past two years, LuisaViaRoma has been more transactional, whereas we want to become a go-to authority again."
The signal: After months of uncertainty and a shuttered New York store, LuisaViaRoma's path forward rests on domestic industrial capital rather than private equity — a bet that operational discipline and a return to curation can revive one of Italy's storied luxury e-tailers.
Read more: WWD
Image credit: Artem Beliaikin
