Could Made in Italy become synonymous with sustainability?

Photo: Courtesy of Venice Sustainable Fashion Forum To become a Vogue Business Member and receive the Sustainability Edit newsletter, click here . Last week, on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, Italian fashion industry leaders gathered to discuss the challenges of making sustainability a reality at the first Venice Sustainable Fashion Forum, a two-day event with C-suite executives from megawatt brands including Fendi and Prada as well as representatives from small, family-run suppliers. The goal? To create a clear roadmap for the notoriously traditional and insular industry; overhaul its supply chain according to sustainable values; and become a world leader in environmental and social impact. The event was co-hosted by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI), textile association Sistema Moda Italia (SMI), trade group Confindustria Venezia Area Metropolitana di Venezia e Rovigo and think-tank and management consulting company The European House – Ambrosetti. The consensus between delegates and organisers was clear: social impact should sit alongside environmental impact; supply chains should be shortened and reshored where possible to improve data transparency and mitigate the impact of global challenges including Covid-19 and Brexit; and certifications should be standardised to stop confusing consumers and investors alike. Fashion is on track to miss climate targets as textile production grows The latest reports from Textile Exchange paint a bleak picture of fashion’s efforts to slow production and switch to more sustainable materials. The global non-profit says taking action now could still turn the situation around. In a report published in line with the event, Ambrosetti outlined six proposals for a “just transition” (achieving sustainability while protecting workers’ rights). To get ahead of voluntary and mandatory regulations, build multi-stakeholder task forces led by national governments; speed up change by forming alliances throughout the supply chain; measure policy impact by enforcing a minimum data standard for all; promote a positive cultural shift so mindsets align with business change; and position Italian and French luxury companies as an international sustainability vanguard. There was no timeline attached to the proposals. The significance of hosting the event in Venice — which is hoping to become an international city of sustainability as it reckons with rising sea levels — was not lost on attendees. “Venice is a symbol of what beauty we can create and what we can destroy,” says CNMI chairman Carlo Capasa. For Orsola de Castro, founder of Fashion Revolution and Estethica, and a Venice native, the area embodies the unique challenges and opportunities of Italian fashion. “The industriousness of the locals made a culture out of this industry. It is insular because it is confined to an area and a mentality, and because they are protective of the businesses they built, many of which have been around for three generations and are now thriving or dying. It’s a whole structure potentially looking at its own death.” Making ‘Made in Italy’ more sustainable Ambrosetti’s report includes an analysis of the top 15 luxury brands in France and Italy, nine of which say they have 90 per cent of production in Europe, and six of which do not make public statements about their supply chain. Those claiming the ‘Made in Italy’ label rely heavily on vertically integrated factories and a web of small, often family-run, local suppliers. For the brands that do produce or source from abroad, Ambrosetti advises reshoring or nearshoring, to mitigate the challenges posed by Brexit, rising energy prices as a result of war in Ukraine, ongoing Covid-19 disruption in China and general supply chain delays. “This is a highly fragmented industry,” says Flavio Sciuccati, senior partner and director of the global fashion unit at Ambrosetti. “In Italy, what normally happens is that everything changes so that nothing changes — we would like to see this with sustainability.” The Italian fashion industry is made up of many small suppliers, but the responsibility for investing in change should lie with the large brands they work for, adds Ambrosetti’s head of sustainability practices Carlo Cici. “Luxury brands should take advantage of their excessive margins — often double their suppliers’ — to start acting sustainably.” Attendees and speakers shared some signs of progress, although there is still much to be done. OTB Group founder and president Renzo Rosso said he had sent all first and second level managers back to university in Milan to study sustainability and prompt a company-wide mindset shift . Elsewhere, OTB is investing in its suppliers — though not acquiring them wholly as many French counterparts have done. “If you buy it up, the […]

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