Fashion company Valentino "culpably failed" to oversee suppliers for higher profits, an Italian court found, after workers at subcontractors in its supply chain were found to be subjected to labour exploitation. In their ruling, the Milan judges wrote that despite the previous cases being widely reported "Valentino Bags Lab kept operating with suppliers who exploit workers and use labour in violation of safety regulations, without in any way increasing its control systems". The company allegedly subcontracted production to Chinese-owned firms in Italy that exploited workers. Seven Chinese-owned workshops around Milan were inspected by police in the case, including one of the firms involved in the Dior case last year. 67 workers, nine of whom had no employment contract, were identified. Three were undocumented workers. Workers were made to sleep in the workplace in order to have "manpower available 24 hours a day", according to the ruling; further, electricity consumption mapped by investigators showed "seamless day-night production cycles, including during the holidays". One of the subcontractors was Bags Milano Srl; this company, in turn, subcontracted production to other Chinese-owned workshops: Valentino Bags Lab allegedly did not formally authorise this but was aware of it and "turned a blind eye" given how much work there was. Valentino is majority-owned by Qatari investment fund Mayhoola. French fashion group Kering bought a 30% stake in the Italian brand in 2023, with an option to purchase the entire share capital by 2028.