Valérie Samuel is the granddaughter of Fred Samuel, who founded the house on the rue Royale in Paris in 1936, and the daughter of Henri Samuel, who created its Force 10 bracelet in 1966. She grew up around the business, helping at FRED events, and from the age of 18 worked alongside her father and grandfather while she studied. She studied human resources at the Université Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas and earned a qualification from the Gemological Institute of America in Los Angeles.
She joined the family firm full time in 1988, presenting new collections to retailers and looking after the window displays. From 1993 to 1996 she was director of creation and manufacturing and a member of the management board, responsible for product development from design to production, special orders, stone dealers and the diversification into pens, eyewear, bags and silk, and she took part in the sale of the house to LVMH in 1995.
She then spent two decades outside it. At Lalique she re-established the jewellery and watch division before becoming marketing director, and at Swarovski she was vice-president of jewellery, accessories and watches for seven years.
In 2017 LVMH brought her back as vice-president and artistic director, a rare return of a founding family member to a house long after its sale, and she also served as interim head until a new chief executive was found; Charles Leung took over in 2018. She has described her aim as pursuing her family's vision rather than reinventing it. Under her direction FRED launched the Pretty Woman collection in 2021, recalling the ruby and diamond necklace worn in the 1990 film, with Emma Roberts as its face; the Force 10 Hero Cut, a 32-facet diamond cut evoking a sail and a shield, in 2022; and the 2024 high jewellery collection Monsieur Fred Ideal Light, whose spinels and garnets recall the Argentine landscapes of the founder's early life. She has also worked on rebuilding the house's archive and on its growth in China.
Casadi has not verified her date of birth. Her 1993 to 1996 role is from her own professional profile.