At the Fashion Roundtable, which the Italian Minister convened for Enterprise and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, and also attended by the French Minister Delegate for Industry, Sébastien Martin, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) and the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM) reaffirmed the importance of close collaboration between Italy and France in order to support the competitiveness, creativity and development of European fashion.
The importance of the synergy between Italy and France
The two Associations welcome the attention that the two countries’ governments are devoting to the sector and agree on the need to strengthen structured dialogue with European institutions, so that future industrial policies support the growth of this strategic sector for the economy, employment, and Europe’s creative heritage. In this context, CNMI and FHCM presented to the Fashion Roundtable the Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 25 in Cannes, as part of the France-Italy Summit, in the presence of Ministers Adolfo Urso and Sébastien Martin.
Support for new talent and calendar alignment
This agreement marks a new phase in the cooperation between the two associations, firmly establishing fashion as a key area of industrial collaboration between Italy and France. The Memorandum outlines a joint working plan to address some of the sector’s key challenges, including maintaining the high-level and dialogue between Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks, supporting emerging designers, taking a shared stance on sustainability, eco-design, intellectual property protection and counterfeit prevention, and promoting know-how, training and fashion industry careers.
“I would like to thank Minister Adolfo Urso for promoting this important moment of dialogue, which reflects the growing attention of institutions towards a strategic sector for Europe’s economy, culture and competitiveness," said Carlo Capasa, chairman Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. "Today’s round table represents a significant step forward in ensuring continuity to the path of collaboration between the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, further strengthened by the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Cannes. The participation in this round table of some of the leading Italian and French industry associations, as well as of the French Minister Sébastien Martin, confirms how essential it is to build a strong network and work together, leveraging shared expertise, experience and visions to strengthen the entire European fashion ecosystem, for the benefit of the whole value chain. Italy and France share an extraordinary heritage that celebrates beauty, placing creativity, craftsmanship and savoir-faire at its core. Working together means enhancing the ability of European fashion to address, with a common vision, the major challenges of our time: from competitiveness to sustainability, from the protection of intellectual property to the promotion of skills and the new generations of creatives.”
Fashion as a shared European industrial and geostrategic asset
“We would like to thank Minister Adolfo Urso and Minister Sébastien Martin for organising the round- table which took place today and dedicated to cooperation between France and Italy in the fashion industry," commented Pascal Morand, executive president Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode . Both countries have very intertwined ecosystems when it comes to the fashion industry, valuing creation at the highest level, supported by unique savoir-faire, backed by Houses being global leaders. Regarding all these matters, we work closely with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, which whom we signed a Memorandum of Understanding during the France-Italy Summit on June 25th, 2026, underlining our cooperation regarding Fashion Weeks and emerging brands, a common ESG framework, a shared vision towards European challenges in the global economy, and the development of training and education to preserve savoir-faire and foster innovation. It is also essential that France and Italy speak with one voice towards European institutions, to stand for a strong, responsible and innovating fashion ecosystem, playing a key role for the European competitiveness and creativity, and embodying the osmosis between economy and culture inherited from the past and preparing the future.”
The collaboration between the CNMI and the FHCM is based on the idea that major transformations in the sector can be addressed more effectively through a shared vision that promotes European excellence and strengthens its international competitiveness. The two Associations also reaffirm their commitment to maintaining dialogue with the Italian and French governments, as well as with European institutions, to ensure that fashion is recognised as a strategic industry for Europe’s growth, innovation, and culture.
On July 15, the meeting was also pursued with an exchange about shared challenges for the sector, including interventions from Confindustria Moda, Union Française des Industries de la Mode et de l’Habillement, Union des Industries Textiles and Groupement de la Fabrication Française.
