"Speak English, kiss French, drive German, and dress Italian". Italy has been renowned for its high-quality craftsmanship, sharp tailoring and luxury designs since the 11th century, and the manufacturing and export of fashionable items is an integral part of the country’s economy. To understand more about this unique heritage – as well as its promising future – we spoke to Claudio Marenzi, President of Sistema Moda Italia.
Fashion influences society as much as society influences fashion. It's a close relationship. Fashion gives people the opportunity to express themselves and everyone is free to choose how they do this. The fact that fashion is so important for personal expression and growth is also confirmed by the numbers: fashion is the third biggest industry in Italy. Italy is a country characterized by strong area specialization, from which stems local excellence. From district to district, the knowledge and expertise can be different, but the importance and the need to protect and support 'Made in Italy' products remains the same.
‘Made in Italy’ in fashion is synonymous with exclusivity. The industries that continue to produce in Italy know this well and focus on the quality of ‘Made in Italy’ products. It’s the know-how and expert craftsmanship that position them in the global market. Producing in Italy is a strategic choice. Success in the fashion industry is not a linear process. Success is based on insights, on creativity, and on innovation. To this end, I hope that the know-how acquired over the centuries, combined with the creativity that characterizes ‘Made in Italy’ products, will continue to make Italian fashion a leader of the global industry.
The sustainability of the production process is one of the main challenges within the fashion sector. The modern industry demands more and more customized products, business and product sustainability, and a diversified social impact – and these are all issues that we observe in the Italian fashion ecosystem. The Commissione Sostenibilità Ricerca & Innovazione (Commission for Sustainability Research & Innovation) was strongly advocated not only by SMI, but also by Minister Calenda, who was the Deputy Minister at that time. The Commission has set up a single metric of quality and sustainability standards that govern the entire production process. The purpose is to define the guidelines for production standards and supply requirements that the modern market demands.
In order to encourage sustainability, the Global Change Award has been launched. They are looking for game-changing solutions that address one or several of the global commons to create a planet positive fashion future. The global commons are: land, water, oceans, climate and biodiversity Many big brands are taking steps to not only make their products more sustainable, but creating entirely new fabrics as well. The Global Change Award has been given to 17 small businesses so far, 14 have been Italian based. They are a non-profit foundation, initiated to co-create, fund and share solutions for the world’s most urgent challenges. Sprung from our entrepreneurial heritage, it is in the core of the Global Change Foundation to disrupt traditional systems through unexpected collaborations. To help safeguard the welfare of humanity they are ushering the fashion industry to become planet positive, and they accelerate development for inclusive societies.
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