Confindustria Moda appeals to the Government: urgent support is needed for the sector
There are exactly two weeks to go until the September round of fashion shows and presentations dedicated to womens’ fashion, and Milan – fresh from a record-breaking summer for tourism – is gearing up not only for the brands’ ‘behind-closed-doors’ events, but also for shop openings, exhibitions and meetings. Even less time remains until Micam (footwear) and Mipel (leather goods), the two major trade fairs for the sector, which will take place from 13 to 15 September. Both Milan Women’s Fashion Week (which will be presented today in Milan by the Chamber of Fashion) and the events at Rho will give industry professionals and buyers a glimpse of the spring–summer 2027 season. But how is the supply chain faring, and how have the first six months gone, particularly for the upstream manufacturing sector?
An initial response comes from Confindustria Moda: “The Istat figures speak for themselves. In the first six months, production in the textile, clothing and leather sectors fell by 5.1 per cent,” explains President Luca Sburlati. We can take some comfort from the trade balance, which remains positive by around 4 billion, given that the fall in exports has been matched by a fall in imports. But it is cold comfort, because it confirms a decline in consumer spending’. The upcoming trade fairs and Fashion Week could mark a fresh start; entrepreneurs cannot afford to be pessimistic, but Sburlati stresses that ‘no one can do it alone’.
The president of Confindustria Moda points out that the textile, fashion and accessories sector is worth around 100 billion and employs, directly alone, over 600,000 people. “It is surprising how difficult it still is to recognise the sector’s extraordinary contribution to our country’s economy, as well as to its image. “We have never asked for blanket subsidies or stopgap measures,” emphasises Sburlati, who has been in office since May 2025 and has a four-year term. “On the contrary, since June we have been discussing a ten-year business plan involving not only businesses, of course, but also institutions and, in particular, the Government.”
Confindustria Moda is calling on the relevant ministers – Adolfo Urso of the Mimit in particular – and the entire government to take swift action on energy costs: ‘The upstream part of the supply chain, which also has lower profit margins than the downstream sector and the brands, is energy-intensive. There is no end in sight to the crisis triggered in February by the war against Iran; an Italian and European plan is needed. The other area where the supply chain and the Government must work together is technology – which is not just about AI: companies are investing in research into new fibres, for example, and we need to consider how to facilitate or support these investments, which can also contribute to environmental sustainability – an issue that affects everyone, not just the fashion industry.” Confindustria Moda is playing its part in the green transition: on 5 and 6 November in Venice, the annual sustainability event will bring together all the associations within the wider fashion sector, from eyewear to jewellery.
Last but not least, the collaboration with France, which Sburlati also looks to for the effectiveness of the measures against fast fashion – measures that Confindustria Moda had already proposed back in February: ‘The agreement reached by Minister Urso must be strengthened, and Paris has every interest in this, given that the major French groups produce almost everything in Italia and it is in their interest to keep the supply chain intact,’ concludes Sburlati. But even more importantly, and taking a long-term view, we must all invest in telling the story of our supply chain: social media campaigns are extremely dangerous and paint a false picture of the sector and its brands. We must speak to young people, tell our story in schools, for example, always in collaboration with the institutions.”
