Qatari investment vehicle Mayhoola for Investments is a long-term shareholder in Valentino and could help the Italian fashion group grow further, Valentino Chief Executive Stefano Sasso said on Thursday.

"We have a long-term shareholder that I don't think has any need to sell," Sasso said at a presentation in Milan. "I don't rule out that the group could be expanded further, we need to always keep an eye on the market because critical mass is important."

Mayhoola, which acquired Valentino in 2012, has examined plans to list the designer on Milan's stock market, sources told Reuters in late 2017, although the company has since said it had no such plans.