31 July 2018

Sustainability for the future of the textiles industry

The round table of the Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony of the 27th edition of Milano Unica was dedicated to the theme of sustainability, a priority and a challenge involving all players of the textiles/apparel supply chain, towards which Italian manufacturers are making important steps.

Moderated by journalist Maria Silvia Sacchi, the speakers at the round table were Ercole Botto Poala, President of Milano Unica, Andrea Crespi, Chairman of the Sustainability Committee, Carlo Capasa, President of the Italian National Chamber of Fashion and Marino Vago, President of Sistema Moda Italia.

The President Botto Poala opened by underlining the crucial importance of a sustainable approach to manufacturing, “a key step for our supply chain and an irremissible opportunity”. It is a clear fact that sustainability is increasingly demanded in the market today and, consequently, it must also become a priority on the supply side.

In this respect, Italy has a competitive advantage, as it is the only country with a complete supply chain and can therefore put sustainability into practice throughout all the links of the supply chain. However, to maximize this advantage, it is necessary to team up and follow a common path in order to compete in a continuously evolving and growing market.

All participants shared the position expressed by the President of Milano Unica. Marino Vago underscored that several Italian textile manufacturers also benefit from another advantage, i.e. having committed to sustainability ahead of time compared to the international competition. Therefore, Italian textiles are recognized and appreciated today at the global level not only for their creativity, quality and the typical Made-in-Italy workmanship, but also for their huge intrinsic value in terms of sustainability.

In order to ensure leadership in this segment, it is necessary to continuously promote teamwork. Carlo Capasa illustrated the important results obtained by the Sustainability Table that the Italian Chamber of Fashion launched in partnership with the main brands and sector associations. A challenging yet fundamental process that hinges on the key aspects of the raw materials, manufacturing processes, traceability and social sustainability, with the ultimate goal of providing businesses with precise, shared parameters on sustainable manufacturing.

Teamwork - Andrea Crespi added – also means a commitment to sharing activated sustainability processes and procedures. If sustainability means - also and above all - information transparency, businesses have an obligation to seize this opportunity as a value without being afraid of showing efforts made, both upstream and downstream, because teamwork certainly is the best response that we can give to the market.

President Botto Poala concluded the round table with a renewed appeal for unity and teamwork, which, together with investments, innovation and unflagging pursuit of excellence, are fundamental resources to win the challenge of sustainability and competitiveness on the international market.

View the video of the Ceremony