Made in Italy news and archive

At Milan Fashion Week, industry's darker side goes unmentioned

Artisans in white coats greeted guests at the Tod's fashion show in Milan Friday, crafting the Made in Italy leather and needlework items for which the company -- and country -- is renowned. But despite that display of handcraft, there has been little mention at Milan Fashion Week of some of the industry's forgotten workers -- whom prosecutors...

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People

Lorenzo Bertelli (Prada): "thanks to AI, we will finally be able to value people who work with their hands"

Scandicci (Florence, Italy). “Technology and artificial intelligence will give us efficiency and free up time for high value-added work,” stated Lorenzo Bertelli, chief marketing officer and head of corporate social responsibility for the Prada Group, and the future CEO. Bertelli was in Scandicci in November, together with current CEO Andrea...

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Business

Italy sweatshop probe snares more luxury brands

Italian prosecutors on Thursday named Gucci, Prada, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent as among 13 luxury brands suspected of using subcontractors who exploited migrant workers in Italy, as part of a growing investigation into sweatshop conditions. Milan prosecutor Paolo Storari issued requests for information about alleged abuses by the brands,...

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Business

Italy's luxury brands shaken by sweatshop probes

A series of investigations into exploitative work conditions within fashion subcontractors has roiled Italy's luxury industry, with the government decrying attacks on "Made in Italy". Five fashion brands have been put under court administration since 2024 following probes by Milan prosecutors that uncovered worker abuses and a lack of oversight...

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Business

Stefano Ricci: Turnover exceeds 152 million euros amid global expansion

Italian menswear specialist Stefano Ricci presented its new AW26/27 collection and, in doing so, also provided insights into current plans and the current financial year. Highlights include a new store in Rome, located on Via Bocca di Leone, and a new store in Washington, D.C., the sixth in the US. The brand has also launched a new equestrian...

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Business

Tod’s CEO defends company ethics following labour exploitation allegations

"Made in Italy is one of our country's excellences, recognised worldwide," explained Diego Della Valle last Friday from Tod's headquarters in Milan. The executive's comments came after the city's Public Prosecutor's Office requested judicial administration for the Marche-based company, Tod's SpA, for allegedly negligently facilitating "severe...

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Business

Italian leather industry closes 2024 with 30 billion euro turnover, down 8.6 percent

Milan - With approximately 10,000 active businesses, the Italian leather industry closed 2024 with a total turnover of 30 billion euros. This represents an 8.6 percent decrease compared to the previous year. The negative trend was also confirmed in the first six months of 2025, with a further 5.3 percent decline compared to the same period in...

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Retail

Jacob Cohën to enhance logistics and expand internationally

Jacob Cohën Company, the owner of the premium Made in Italy brand Jacob Cohën, has announced its new industrial plan for 2025–2029. The strategy focuses on enhancing logistics at its Piove di Sacco hub in the province of Padua, consolidating its fully Made in Italy production network across the Veneto region, and accelerating expansion in...

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Business|Reportage

The 'Prato system': corruption and illegal labour at the heart of the Italian textile industry

The fatal shooting of Zhang Dayong in Rome, who was found with six bullet wounds, initially seemed unconnected to Prato, Italy's textile hub. However, investigators now believe the murder is part of a brutal "hanger war" between rival Chinese mafia groups for control of Europe's largest garment manufacturing centre. This criminal escalation is...

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Fashion |Opinion

Made in Italy under scrutiny: A call for transparency and credibility

"Made in Italy" has recently come under intense scrutiny, not only due to tariffs that continue to penalise many sectors despite recent trade agreements, but primarily because of persistent issues surrounding illegal labor exploitation. Companies are also grappling with significant difficulties in effectively monitoring their entire supply...

Culture

Armani celebrates 20 Years of Privé with an exhibition in Milan

This spring, the house of Giorgio Armani will exhibit a retrospective at the Armani/Silos in Milan, celebrating 20 years of its haute couture line, Giorgio Armani Privé, as well as 50 years of a quietly radical vision that has reshaped modern elegance. Opening to the public on May 21 and running until year’s end, Giorgio Armani Privé 2005–2025...

Fashion

Rosso (Otb) on Made in Italy: ‘Everyone copies us, we must show who we are’

“Europe should be stronger and more cohesive, with strong leaders who can assert our conditions and our distinctive qualities, so as not to be at the mercy of other major powers. We ask for more transparency, loyalty, strength and the will to show our qualities. It is not right that Italy suffers, for all the values that it brings with it. We...