Diane von Furstenberg has returned to the European market with a new wholesale partnership with Italy-based Brama Group. The move marks a strategic step forward in DVF’s European growth and reinforces its deep-rooted connection to Italy.
To introduce the partnership, DVF hosted a luncheon Monday at her home in Venice for Brama Group’s clients. There were about 100 people in attendance and they were able to view a little of the fall 2026 collection. They plan to have their first market appointments on Wednesday.
Through this new partnership, Brama Group will manage wholesale distribution for DVF across European markets, strengthening relationships with premiere department stores and specialty boutiques, while expanding the brand’s footprint throughout the region.
DVF’s history is linked to Italy as she started her career working with a textile factory in Como, where she first developed her understanding of fabric, print and craftsmanship. She now spends much of her time in Venice. Since taking the business back in-house in 2024, Graziano de Boni, the company’s chief executive officer, has reset the strategy of DVF, setting the foundation for sustained global growth.
“We are excited to enter into this partnership with Renzo Braglia and his team at Brama. The alignment between our two companies and the shared vision for the future DVF will be fully reflected in the strategy and targeted approach for our brand in the very important European market,” de Boni said.
He told WWD that DVF has sold the European market many times over the years, but when they decided to take the business back in 2024, they reset the market in America and Europe. There were close to 400 doors in America and Europe where the brand was carried, and they decided to close the accounts.
“We decided to come back into the market and start fresh [in the beginning of 2025]. Sometimes it’s a good thing to do. We wanted to elevate the product and start to do things differently. By not having any legacy distribution allows us to come back with what we think DVF should be from a product point of view,” de Boni said.
Braglia said, “I am delighted to be partnering with the DVF team. This partnership is the result of many years of courtship for Brama Group to be able to represent DVF in the European market. We see a lot of opportunity for the brand in Europe and are excited to steward this new era together.”
This partnership with Brama Group reflects not only a strategic strategy, but also a shared cultural heritage. As an Italian company with deep expertise in premium fashion wholesale distribution, Brama Group brings an intimate understanding of the European market and strong retail network across Italy and beyond to the partnership.
The partnership will begin with the fall 2026 market with a showroom presence in Milan and Paris.
De Boni said they’ll begin with a Paris and Milan showroom, and eventually they will expand it. He said at yesterday’s luncheon the response was exactly what they were looking for. “They love the idea of DVF being back in Europe. And they love the idea of having such an incredible heritage brand that is not distributed all over the country,” de Boni said. He said now DVF can be selective with whom they want to do business with. He said Brama Group is “super well set up,” and has specialized particularly in managing American brands in Europe.
Brama Group was founded in 2006 by Renzo Braglia, and is a hub for independent brands in a fragmented market. It is powered by an integrated platform of sales services and strategic positioning in the premium B2B market. Brama has built a comprehensive logistics team and network in its own showrooms across Europe. The company has a group of buyers in Europe that were selected to ensure the distribution level of their business partners. The buyers rely on showrooms in major markets with vendors with whom they collaborate.
In addition to DVF, Brama Group works with such brands as Missoni, Mother, AG Jeans, LoveShackFancy, Paige, Norma Kamali and Re/Done. Brama has showrooms in such cities as Milan, Paris, Düsseldorf, Antwerp, Madrid, Munich, as well as Scandinavia and the U.K.
In an interview with von Furstenberg, she said she was excited because Italy was where she started when she was 20 years old. “And the first step back to Italy was hiring Graziano [de Boni]. The second step was making Venice the stage for the winter of my life. And then Graziano found Renzo [Braglia] who knew about DVF for years, and it’s going back to the roots. It feels very, very cozy.” She said they’ll be taking the U.S. collection and distributing it in Europe.
“When you deal with Italy, you deal with people who love the product. There’s something about Northern Italy, it’s where they started with agriculture and they became artisans and then industrialists. For me, it’s very emotional because it’s where I started and where I learned everything in the factory,” von Furstenberg said.
