Italian Fashion Brands Map Out a Less Wasteful Future

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The Camera Nazionale Della Mode, otherwise known as the National Chamber of Italian Fashion (similar to the CFDA in the US), is moving forward on an initiative that launched in 2012 to hold Italian fashion brands accountable for a higher level of sustainability. The organization just released the first of many sustainability reports on the industry, each focused on creating a set of guidelines around best practices in all areas of the fashion business.

According to WWD, the initial report runs through a list of 350 chemicals commonly used in textile production and assesses each on a level of sustainability and whether or not it's safe to use. The report also marks out goals for Italian fashion brands to hit each year in maintaining sustainable chemical use.

Italy's most famous fashion companies, including Versace, Gucci, Armani, Prada, and Valentino, are all involved in the chamber's push towards sustainability.

In the original manifesto from 2012 that all this is based off of, the chamber explains that sustainability in fashion must be taken more seriously, while also acknowledging that the brands have to do what's best for their businesses. The manifesto "interprets the global challenges of sustainability by defining concrete and distinctive actions to be taken by Italian businesses."

WWD notes that future reports will focus on sustainability in production, sourcing of raw materials, social responsibility, retail, and sales. Here's hoping that their take on sustainability in retail and sales is less polarizing than the current "see now, buy now" phenomenon that's sweeping through the industry.