Valentino Real Valentino
If you've ever searched for Valentino bags and found two very different price points — £80 at one end and £1,500 at the other — you've already spotted the distinction at the heart of this guide. Valentino by Mario Valentino and Valentino Garavani are completely separate companies. They share an Italian surname, not an ownership structure, not a design team, and not a supply chain.
OD's Designer Clothing stocks Mario Valentino bags. This guide explains exactly what that means, why it matters, and why the bags are worth considering on their own terms.
1 | Two Different Brands — The Short Answer
The Direct Answer
No — Valentino by Mario Valentino is not the same brand as Valentino Garavani. They are two separate Italian companies that happen to share the same surname. Mario Valentino is a legitimate Italian fashion accessories brand in its own right, not a diffusion line or licensed product of the haute couture house.
This confusion is understandable. Both brands are Italian. Both use the name "Valentino." Both make bags. But the similarity ends there.
The mix-up happens frequently online because search algorithms serve both results together and some retailers aren't clear about which brand they're selling. The honest answer is that these are distinct businesses with different founders, different histories, different price points, and entirely different target markets.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Valentino Garavani — founded 1960, Rome. Haute couture and luxury RTW. Owned by Mayhoola (Qatari investment). Bags from £800–£3,000+
- Mario Valentino — founded 1952, Naples. Italian fashion accessories and leather goods. Bags from £50–£200
- No shared ownership, licensing arrangement, or design relationship
- Both are legitimate Italian brands — just at completely different market positions
2 | Valentino Garavani — The Haute Couture House
Valentino Garavani is the fashion designer born in Voghera, northern Italy, in 1932. He founded his eponymous couture house in Rome in 1960, quickly becoming known for his signature red gowns and his dressing of figures including Jacqueline Kennedy. The brand became a pillar of Italian haute couture.
Today, Valentino (the Garavani house) is owned by Mayhoola, a Qatari investment fund, and operates at the highest tier of the luxury market. Their RTW collections, accessories, and bags are stocked in department stores including Harrods and Selfridges, and in their own standalone boutiques worldwide. Pieces start at several hundred pounds and routinely exceed £2,000.
Valentino Garavani — What They're Known For
The Rockstud bag (£1,200+), the Roman Stud tote, VLogo Signature chain bags, and their signature Valentino Red colour. The brand sits alongside Gucci, Bottega Veneta, and Balenciaga in the luxury tier.
3 | Mario Valentino — The Italian Accessories Brand
Mario Valentino is an entirely separate story. Founded in Naples in 1952 by master cobbler Mario Valentino, the brand built its reputation in shoes and leather goods across southern Italy. Naples has a centuries-old tradition of leatherworking and craft — Mario Valentino grew out of that tradition, not out of Roman haute couture.
The brand expanded into handbags, which is where it finds its strongest contemporary market. The bags carry Italian design sensibility — structured shapes, clean hardware, and materials that hold their form — at an accessible price point. This is what OD's stocks.
Mario Valentino — The Facts
- Founded 1952 in Naples, Italy — a separate founder from Valentino Garavani
- Built on Italian leather goods and cobbling tradition
- Bags typically priced £50–£200 — accessible Italian fashion accessories
- Available in vegan leather and leather options across multiple styles
- Sold in department stores and independent retailers across the UK and Europe
- Not affiliated with, licensed by, or related to the Valentino Garavani couture house
4 | Side-by-Side Comparison
Valentino Garavani
Founded Rome, 1960. Haute couture and luxury RTW. Owned by Mayhoola. Bags from £800–£3,000+. Sold at Harrods, Selfridges, standalone boutiques. Rockstud and Roman Stud signatures.
Mario Valentino
Founded Naples, 1952. Italian fashion accessories and leather goods. Bags from £50–£200. Sold in independent fashion retailers including OD's. Italian design at an accessible price.
What They Share
An Italian surname. Both are legitimate Italian businesses. That is the full extent of the connection. No shared design, ownership, licensing, or supply chain exists between them.
What They Don't Share
Ownership, creative direction, manufacturing, branding strategy, price point, or market positioning. Buying one does not mean you are buying a product related to the other.
A Useful Parallel
Think of it like two unrelated people who happen to share the surname "Williams." They're both real. One might be a celebrated musician and the other a local tradesman. Neither is pretending to be the other — they simply share a name.
5 | Is Mario Valentino Good Quality?
Judged on its own terms — meaning against other bags at the £50–£200 price point — yes, Mario Valentino offers solid quality. The construction is consistent, the hardware holds up with regular use, and the structured shapes resist slouching in a way that cheaper bags often don't.
The vegan leather options are a genuine draw for shoppers who want the look and structure of a leather bag without animal products. They're not the same as full-grain leather, but they're significantly more durable than the PVC bags that dominate the lower end of the market.
- Consistent stitching and construction across styles
- Hardware that doesn't tarnish quickly with regular use
- Structured shapes that maintain their form
- Vegan leather options with better durability than typical PVC alternatives
- Italian design sensibility — clean lines, minimal fussiness
- Good gift option at an accessible price point
What Mario Valentino bags are not: haute couture, investment pieces, or luxury goods in the Valentino Garavani sense. If you're buying one expecting that, the brand has been misrepresented to you. Bought for what they are — well-made Italian fashion accessories — they represent genuine value.
Shop Mario Valentino at OD's
Browse our current Mario Valentino collection at odsdesignerclothing.com, or visit us in store at 44 Barrow Street, St Helens — Mon–Sat 9am–5pm.
Shop Valentino at OD's
Every piece below is in stock at OD's Designer Clothing — authorised UK stockist.