Italy is one of the leading countries infashion design, alongsideFrance and theUnited Kingdom. Fashion has always been an important part of thecountry's cultural life and society, and Italians are well known for their attention to dress;la bella figura, or good appearance, retains its traditional importance.
Italian fashion became prominent during the 11th to 16th centuries, when artistic development in Italy was at its peak. Cities such asRome,Palermo,Venice,Milan,Naples,Florence andVicenza started to produceluxury goods,hats,cosmetics,jewelry and richfabrics. From the 17th century to the early 20th,Italian fashion lost its importance and lustre and Europe's main trendsetter became France, with the great popularity ofFrench fashion; this is due to the luxury dresses which were designed for the courtiers ofLouis XIV.[2] However, since the 1951–53 fashion soirées held byGiovanni Battista Giorgini in Florence,[3] the "Italian school" started to compete with the Frenchhaute couture, and labels such asPrada andGucci began to contend withChanel andDior. In 2009, according to theGlobal Language Monitor,Milan, Italy's centre ofdesign, was ranked the topfashion capital of the world, andRome was ranked fourth,[4] and, although both cities fell in subsequent rankings, in 2011, Florence entered as the 31st world fashion capital. Milan is generally considered to be one of the "big four" globalfashion capitals, along with New York, Paris, and London; occasionally, the "big five" also includes Rome.[5]
Italian fashion is linked to the most generalized concept of "Made in Italy", a merchandise brand expressing excellence of creativity and craftsmanship.[6] Italian luxury goods are renowned for the quality of the textiles and the elegance and refinement of their construction. Many French, British and American high-top luxury brands (such asChanel,Dior,Hermès and the main line ofRalph Lauren) also rely on Italian craft factories, located in highly specialized areas in the metropolitan area ofNaples and in the centre-north of Italy (Tuscany,Marche,Veneto,Lombardy andPiedmont), to produce parts of their apparel and accessories.
The nonprofit association that co-ordinates and promotes the development of Italian fashion is theNational Chamber of Italian Fashion (Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana), now led byCarlo Capasa. It was set up in 1958 in Rome, is now settled in Milan and represents all the highest cultural values of Italian fashion. This association has pursued a policy of organisational support aimed at the knowledge, promotion and development of fashion through high-profile events in Italy and abroad. The talent of young, creative fashion is also promoted in Italy, as in the annual ITS (International Talent Support Awards) young fashion designer competition inTrieste.[7]
Examples of major Italian fashion houses focused on both menswear and womenswear, but also accessories:[8]
Examples of major fashion brands which are specialized mainly at womenswear (and also accessories for women) areLaura Biagiotti,Blumarine (founded byAnna Molinari and now designed byDavid Koma),Capucci,Chiara Boni,Alberta Ferretti (now directed byLorenzo Serafini),Gattinoni,Genny (designed by Sara Cavazza Facchini),Giamba (created by designer Giambattista Valli),Krizia (founded by Mariuccia Mandelli and now art directored by Zhu Chongyun),La Perla,Luisa Spagnoli,Max Mara (created by Ian Griffiths),Miu Miu (founded and directed byMiuccia Prada), Philosophy,Mila Schon and Twin-set Milano whilst the most important luxury houses which focus only on menswear and accessories for men areBrioni,Canali,Corneliani,Lardini,Stefano Ricci,Zegna (directed byAlessandro Sartori) andPal Zileri.
Luxury sportswear andstreetwear have become general fashion trends, mixing high and low, formal and active style in one look and also in this segment Italy, apart from big luxury brands focused on ready to wear (or couture) developing their own streetstyle lines or items such asGucci,Fendi,Moschino andPrada or brands with a strong sporty heritage likeBikkembergs, has got a few high end companies focused on this style likeGCDS,OFF White founded by AmericanVirgil Abloh but based inMilan,Stone island. In sportswear some of the most prominent houses areDiadora,Fila, andKappa.
A few Italian designers head (or have headed) some important fashion brands outside Italy.Riccardo Tisci worked for French luxury houseGivenchy for twelve years until 2017 and in 2018 was named BritishBurberry's creative director until 2022;Maria Grazia Chiuri after co-heading at Valentino together withPier Paolo Piccioli (who is at the head ofBalenciaga since 2025) was the first female creative director ever atDior until 2025; French fashion brandRochas had been directed byAlessandro Dell'Acqua for a few years and now by Alessandro Vigilante; Marco Colagrossi headsUngaro after a few years under the directorship of Fausto Puglisi;Nicola Formichetti was artistic director atMugler; Veronica Leoni isCalvin Klein Collection's director;Nino Cerruti founded his ownParis-based fashion house;Giambattista Valli's mainready to wear and high fashion lines are set in Paris andStefano Pilati was for almost eight yearsSaint Laurent's head designer before creating an affordable clothing and accessories line forZara in 2024.
Among the newest labels or younger designers, the most prominent are Calcaterra, Del Core, Federico Cina, Giuseppe Di Morabito,Golden Goose Deluxe Brand,Stella Jean, Niccolò Pasqualetti andThe Attico.
Other luxury labels which are mainly focused on the production of leather goods such as accessories, especially belts or shoes, are Anderson's, Aquazzura,Baldinini, Ballin,Bontoni, Casadei,Rene Caovilla,Bruno Magli,Paciotti,Pollini, Gianvito Rossi,Sergio Rossi,Giuseppe Zanotti, while fashion brands or labels which produce primarily bags, totes, suitcases areBraccialini,Furla,Mandarina Duck,Piquadro, Serapian andValextra.
Italy also is home to many fashion magazines, such asVogue Italia,Vanity Fair,Elle,Glamour,Grazia.[9]
Other Italian accessory and jewelry brands, such asLuxottica (owner, amongst several luxury eyewear brands, ofRay-Ban andPersol),Safilo,Marcolin,Buccellati,Damiani, Vhernier,Pomellato, Dodo,Morellato,Officine Panerai andBvlgari.
In recent years, several Italian luxury brands have been acquired by French conglomerates such asLVMH andKering, consolidating French leadership in the global luxury sector. For example, LVMH acquiredFendi in 2001,Bulgari in 2011 andLoro Piana in 2013, while Kering gained control ofGucci in 1999,Bottega veneta in 2001 andBrioni in 2012. Also Swiss giantRichemont owns a few Italian houses like shoe-maker Gianvito Rossi and luxury watch manufacturePanerai. These conglomerates own a vast portfolio of high-fashion, jewelry, and leather goods brands, also managing their marketing and distribution strategies on a global scale.Italian luxury brands, while renowned for their craftsmanship, quality, and timeless design, often do not have the same economic or organizational scale as the French or Swiss giants. However, groups likePrada by buying rivalVersace in a billion dollar deal in 2025 are now increasing their dimension in order to create an Italian conglomerate to compete with multinational groups that possess greater financial resources and infrastructures.[10] AlsoOTB, even in a less great scale, can be considered a luxury hub of Italian and international brands (owning, among the others,Maison Margiela,Jil Sander and stocks in Amiri) competing in an increasingly globalized market.Despite a few huge foreign companies have taken control of several iconic Italian houses, groups likeGiorgio Armani,Brunello Cucinelli,Dolce & Gabbana,Ferragamo,Moncler,Tod's (which owns French brandRoger Vivier),Zegna (which ownsThom Browne and producesTom Ford) continue to maintain their independence. Even though the ownership of many of the most recognised Italian luxury fashion brands has changed hands, the country continues to account for an incredible proportion of luxury production. According to a Pambianco-PwC report as much as 78% of global luxury fashion is made in Italy.[11]
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Fashion in Italy started to become the most fashionable in Europe since the 11th century, and powerful cities of the time, such asVenice,Milan,Florence,Naples,Vicenza andRome began to producerobes,jewelry,textiles,shoes,fabrics,ornaments and elaboratedresses.[12] Italian fashion reached its peak during theRenaissance. As Italy is widely recognized as the cradle and birthplace of the Renaissance,[13][14] art, music, education, finance and philosophy flourished, and along with it, Italian fashion designs became very popular especially those worn by theMedicis in Florence.[15] The fashions of QueenCatherine de' Medici of France were considered among the most fashionable in Europe.
After a decline in the 17th to mid-20th century, Italy returned to being a leading nation in fashion, and Florence was Italy'sfashion capital in the 50s and 60s from the very first high fashion parade at the Sala Bianca of thePitti Palace.[16] in 1952 with names such asEmilio Schuberth,Emilio Pucci,Vincenzo Ferdinandi,Roberto Capucci,Sorelle Fontana,Germana Marucelli,Mila Schön,Fausto Sarli, whilstMilan led the way in the 70s and 80s, with then-new labels and designers such asWalter Albini,Armani,Enrico Coveri,Dolce & Gabbana,Gianfranco Ferré,Fiorucci,Romeo Gigli,Krizia,Missoni,Moschino,Luciano Soprani,Trussardi andVersace and opening up and setting up their first boutiques and emporia. Until the 1970s, Italian fashion was mainly designed for the rich and famous, more or less like the French "Haute Couture". FromAudrey Hepburn toGrace Kelly, Hollywood stars chose Italian designs, helping to bring Made in Italy to the global stage. The timeless charm of Italian garments, characterized by high-quality materials and impeccable craftsmanship, became synonymous with glamour and sophistication. Italian fashion houses established themselves as leaders in the industry, setting trends that would be emulated worldwide. Yet, in the 1970s and 80s, Italian fashion started to concentrate onready-to-wear clothes, such ascoats,jackets,trousers,shirts,jeans,jumpers andminiskirts. The 80s were years in whichconsumerism became a global phenomenon andadvertising became more and more invasive, in which the obsession with physical form was rampant and the "culture of appearance" also invaded fashion, which experienced one of the most eclectic periods in its history.Milan became more affordable and stylish for shoppers and home to the most desired names such asGiorgio Armani andGianni Versace, while Florence was deposed of its position as the Italianfashion capital and replaced by Rome, which grew in importance as a high fashion pole in the country thanks to the creations ofValentino,Fendi,Roberto Capucci,Renato Balestra andGattinoni. In the '90s fashion was about contamination of styles that took inspiration from different worlds and that gave birth to a casualwear whose iconic items were high-waisted jeans, slip dresses, colourful sweatshirts and checked shirts withMiuccia Prada inventing the "ugly-chic" style which changed the rules in aesthetics.[17] Italian fashion's relevance transcends decades and in the early 2000s can be confirmed by formerGoogle CEOEric Schmidt revealing that the invention ofGoogle images was due to the incredibly high number of searches for photos of theVersace's jungle print dress worn byJennifer Lopez atGrammys in 2000.[18]
Today,Milan andRome are Italy's fashion capitals, and major international centres forfashion design, competing with other cities such asTokyo,Los Angeles,London,Paris andNew York.[4] Also, other cities such asVenice, Florence,Naples,Vicenza,Bologna,Genoa andTurin are important centres. The country's mainshopping districts are theVia Montenapoleone fashion district and theGalleria Vittorio Emanuele (Milan),Via dei Condotti (Rome), andVia de' Tornabuoni (Florence).
Italian fashion is dominated by Milan, Rome, and to a lesser extent, Florence, with the former two being included in the top 30 fashion capitals of the world.[19] Nonetheless, there are numerous other cities which play an important role in Italian fashion.
Many of the major Italian fashion brands, such asVersace,Prada,Armani,Dolce & Gabbana,Marni,Antonio Marras,Missoni,Moncler,Moschino,Etro, andZegna are currently headquartered in the city. International fashion labels also operate shops in Milan, including aLouis Vuitton flagship store. Milan also hosts afashion week twice a year, just like other international centres such as Paris, London and New York. Milan's main upscale fashion district is the "Quadrilatero della moda" (literally, "Fashion quadrilateral"), where the city's most prestigious shopping streets (Via Montenapoleone,Via della Spiga,Via Sant'Andrea,Via Manzoni andCorso Venezia) are held. TheGalleria Vittorio Emanuele II, thePiazza del Duomo,Via Dante andCorso Buenos Aires are other important shopping streets and squares. According to the 2024 Main Streets Across the World report, by the real estate groupCushman & Wakefield, Milan's Via Montenapoleone was named the world’s most expensiveshopping street, beating New York’sFifth Avenue, London’sNew Bond Street and Paris’sChamps-Élysées, and becoming the first European city to top the list in 34 years.[20]
In 1951, businessmanGiovanni Battista Giorgini organized in his villa in Florence a private Italian fashion show,[21] which was followed on 24 July 1952 by a fully-fledged fashion show organized in the Sala Bianca of thePalazzo Pitti, today considered the first contemporary Italian fashion show.[22] Florence has served as the home of the Italian fashion companySalvatore Ferragamo since 1928.Gianfranco Lotti,Gucci,Roberto Cavalli,Ermanno Scervino, Stefano Ricci, Patrizia Pepe,Enrico Coveri andEmilio Pucci were also founded and most of them are still headquartered in Florence. Other major players in the fashion industry such asPrada andChanel have large offices and stores in Florence or its outskirts. Florence's mainupscale shopping street isVia de' Tornabuoni, where major luxury fashion houses and jewelry labels, such asArmani andBulgari, have their elegant boutiques. Via del Parione and Via Roma are other streets that are also well known for their high-end fashion stores.[23]
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Rome is widely recognized as a worldfashion capital. Major Italian luxury fashion houses and jewelry chains, such asValentino,Bulgari,Fendi,Laura Biagiotti,Gattinoni andBrioni, just to name a few, are headquartered in or were founded in the city. Also, other major labels, such asChanel,Prada,Dolce & Gabbana,Armani andVersace have luxury boutiques in Rome, primarily along its prestigious and upscaleVia dei Condotti.Rome Fashion Week is an important global showcase.
Although Milan, Rome and Florence are commonly regarded as the leading cities in Italian fashion, other cities, such asVenice,Vicenza,Prato,Turin,Naples andBologna, are also important centres for Italian clothing design and industry. Venice, for instance, is the home of Italian fashion houseRoberta di Camerino, which was founded in 1945. The brand is famous for its handbags, and is most notably associated with the creation of theit bag, a form of handbag which is recognisable due to itsstatus symbol.[24] Brands such asMax Mara andUnited Colors of Benetton, despite being major Italian brands, are not headquartered in Milan, Rome or Florence, yet, the former has its headquarters inReggio Emilia,[25] and the latter inPonzano Veneto. Italian holdingOTB held byRenzo Rosso, owner of different ready-to-wear brands such asDiesel and also fashion houses likeMarni, Dutch labelViktor & Rolf and BelgianMaison Margiela, is headquartered in the countryside nearVicenza in the region ofVeneto. Italian companiesCesare Paciotti and alsoTod's, owned by businessmanDiego Della Valle (which produces luxury shoes, other leather goods and also clothes under the labels ofTod's itself,Roger Vivier, Hogan, Fay and haute couture brandSchiaparelli),Santoni,Bontoni are headquartered in the region ofMarche, a very important manufacturing district for shoes and leather components in theAdriatic coast. Fashion housesFabiana Filippi andBrunello Cucinelli's home is the region ofUmbria and luxury brandsKiton andHarmont & Blaine were founded inNaples[26][27][28] which is also another prominent area of the country for the manufacturing of apparel and accessories (especially shoes and leather goods in general around the district ofSolofra).
TheMilan Fashion Week takes place twice a year after theLondon Fashion Week and before theParis Fashion Week. It is scheduled as the third of the four most important and global international ready-to-wear fashion weeks of the calendar during the so-called fashion month. Dates are determined by the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. Some of the locations where fashion shows are held are Milan'sPalazzo Reale,Palazzo Serbelloni, Padiglione Visconti, Spazio delle Cavallerizze at Leonardo da Vinci museum and many others.[29]Another prominent platform for men's collections and new projects in fashion industry isPitti Immagine in Florence at theFortezza da Basso, held twice a year.[30]
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