ITALY’S Prada defied a slowdown across the luxury sector in the first quarter, reporting booming demand for its high fashion brand Miu Miu and continued growth in Asia.

Family-owned Prada on Wednesday (Apr 24) reported sales up 16 per cent to 1.19 billion euros (S$1.7 billion) at constant exchange rates, slightly above a 1.14 billion euro consensus cited by analysts.

Its performance contrasts with that of Gucci-owner Kering . The French group on Tuesday forecast a 40 to 45 per cent plunge in first-half operating profit, after first-quarter sales declined. LVMH’s sales grew 3 per cent in the first quarter.

For Prada, Europe and Asia-Pacific, and in particular Japan, drove the sales growth, while the Americas lagged.

In a post-results conference call Prada echoed comments of other luxury brands saying Chinese shoppers were travelling more and spending more abroad in places like Japan and Europe, reducing sales at home in the holiday period.

Among its brands, flagship label Prada’s retail sales grew by 7 per cent in the January-to-March period, while Miu Miu, which contributes around 15 per cent of total sales, posted an 89 per cent increase.

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“Over the first quarter, we delivered a solid performance in a more challenging market environment,” Prada Group chairman Patrizio Bertelli said in a statement.

“While the industry is experiencing new dynamics, we retain our ambition to deliver solid, sustainable and above market growth,” chief executive Andrea Guerra said.

Guerra told an analyst call that the luxury industry had entered a new phase where strong creativity and a brand’s positioning and desirability would drive performance.

He added that the sales trend in April was similar to that seen in the first quarter.

A dual listing, which was expected in Milan, is still on the agenda though not a priority at the moment, CFO Andrea Bonini told analysts, dismissing a press report about a possible triple listing.

The group is not planning to add additional shops this year, while 10 to 15 store openings for Miu Miu are slated for 2025, and five to 10 for Prada.

Prada shares rose 2.2 per cent on the Hong Kong stock exchange before the results. Since the beginning of January the stock has risen around 37 per cent. REUTERS