Valentino has appointed Tanja Ruhnke as Chief Communication Officer, effective April 7. She will report to Chief Marketing Officer Yigit Turhan, who joined the Maison in 2018.

Valentino has appointed Tanja Ruhnke as Chief Communication Officer

Valentino has appointed Tanja Ruhnke as Chief Communication Officer

For Ruhnke, this is a return to Valentino for Ruhnke; before joining Margiela in 2020 she was Vice President of Communication and Marketing North America, Valentino, and during this time, worked with publicists and stylists for Frances McDormand to dress her for the Oscars, Lady Gaga for the Golden Globe Awards, and Naomi Campbell for the Met Museum Costume Gala.

“Following my successes with luxury brands such as Valentino, Helmut Lang, Alexander Wang and Marc Jacobs, I am currently developing marketing and communications for Maison Margiela,” Ruhnke reflects on her rich experience in luxury fashion, on LinkedIn. “My mandate at Maison Margiela is to lead all Marketing, Communication and Branding aspects of the Maison’s global expansion and the ongoing transformation to a leading luxury brand.”

“Another success was the creation of resonant brand narrative, advertising, media and global PR campaign for the roll-out of the Alexander Wang x H&M collaboration, as well as for the debut of the adidas Originals by Alexander Wang collection,” she adds.

Tanja Ruhnke

Tanja Ruhnke, a Fashion Institute of Technology alumnus, has built an illustrious career in luxury fashion. Her first milestone was in 2002 when she joined luxury fashion brand Helmut Lang as Director of Global Communications. Reporting directly to Helmut Lang, she managed public relations and advertising in the U.S.  Just two years later, she transitioned to KCD as Senior Publicity Director, and within seven years, she had risen to the role of Vice President. In 2019, Tanja took on a new challenge as Vice President of Communications and Marketing for Valentino in North America. And, in September 2020, joined Maison Margiela as Chief Marketing Officer. In this role, she spearheads the marketing, communication, and branding initiatives for the fashion house.

Valentino

Founded in Rome in 1960 by Valentino Garavani and and Giancarlo Giammetti, Valentino has a rich heritage, a luxury positioning rooted in haute couture and a portfolio of haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, fashion accessories, and in activities with licensed partners, Valentino Eyewear and Valentino Beauty. The luxury brand has 211 directly operated stores in more than twenty-five countries and is helmed by CEO Jacopo Venturini and Creative Director Alessandro Michele.

In 2023, Kering and Mayhoola entered into a binding agreement for the acquisition by Kering of a thirty percent shareholding in Valentino, for a cash consideration of €1.7 billion. Mayhoola remains the majority shareholder with seventy percent of the share capital. There is an option for Kering to acquire 100 percent of the share capital of Valentino by 2028. The transaction is part of a broader partnership between Kering and Mayhoola, which could lead to Mayhoola becoming a shareholder in Kering.

“I am impressed with the evolution of Valentino under Mayhoola ownership and very delighted that Mayhoola has chosen Kering as its partner for the development of Valentino,” said François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering. “I am very pleased of this first step in our collaboration with Mayhoola to develop Valentino and pursue the very strong strategic journey of brand elevation that Jacopo Venturini will continue to lead.”