All Valentino stores globally will turn their lights off after 10pm as part of the luxury fashion brand’s sustainability commitment.
The move to save energy consumption comes as Europe formally agreed to a voluntary 10 per cent cut in electricity consumption due to skyrocketing costs and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues.
Member states of the European Union are preparing for energy shortages this winter, whilst homes in the UK have been warned that three-hour power cuts could be implemented if gas supplies from Russa are shut off.
From Thursday night (6 October), all 95 Valentino stores went dark as signs, windows, and displays, as well as warehouses and sales areas were turned off.
The Italian luxury house said it expects to save up to 800 kWh in energy supply with the move, equivalent to the hourly consumption of power used by 13,000 light bulbs.
Valentino added that the initiative would give a signal of “environmental awareness” from the brand as part of its commitment to focus on sustainability “both locally with an eye on territorial areas and globally”.
It follows LMVH, the parent company of Louis Vuitton, Dior, Celine, Loewe and more luxury brands, who announced last month it would turn the lights off in all its stores between 10pm and 7am, instead of leaving them on until 1am.
On 15 September, the French multinational corporation said it would begin turning its store lights off in France this month, followed by other parts of the world at a later stage.
LMVH also said it ill lower temperature settings at industrial sites by 1C in winter and raise them by 1C in the summer.
The energy-saving measure came after France’s president Emmanuel Macron called on industry, households and municipal authorities to reduce power consumption by 10 per cent to mitigate spiralling energy costs and Russia’s cut to gas supplies.
