Fashion, Design & Furniture
Italy enjoys unrivaled creativity, globally recognised design excellence, unmistakable style and art: all these elements converge to shape the perception of Made in Italy worldwide, particularly in Fashion and Furniture, sectors renowned for the quality of materials, craftsmanship andunique artisanal skills.
Leader in Textiles, Wearing Apparel, and Leather Goods
Italy has over 50,680 companies in the fashion and apparel sector, with recognized leadership in the EU generating a turnover of approximately 96.4 billion euros, accounting for 45% of the EU's total.
Source: Eurostat (2022).
Fashion: 1ˢᵗ in exports in Europe and 2ⁿᵈ globally
Fashion is the 2ⁿᵈ sector by contribution to the Italian trade balance, with a high export propensity (75% of turnover).
Italy is the 2ⁿᵈ-largest exporter in the Textiles, Fashion, and Accessories domain (Tessile, Moda e Accessori - TMA), following China, with an export value of 66.6 billion euros. In Europe, the over a quarter of TMA employees are Italian (26.3%).
Source: Confindustria Moda on Eurostat, Istat, and ITC-Trade Map data (2022).
Furniture: 2ⁿᵈ in Europe
Italy is among the top countries in Europe in the furniture sector, ranking 2ⁿᵈ both in the number of companies (over 15,000, the first among major economies) and in turnover (around 24 billion euros).
Italian products are exported worldwide due to their differentiated ability to combine functionality and aesthetics.
Source: Eurostat (2022).
European Design Champion
Italian design embodies a blend of elegance and functionality and holds the top position among EU countries in terms of turnover generated by over 41K companies: 5 billion euros, accounting for 20% of the EU's total.
Italy is the workplace for 19.1% of employees in the design sector across the EU.
Source: Eurostat - Nace code 74.1, Specialized design activities (2022).
Italian talent pool: creativity, excellence, and innovation
Italy boasts a significant concentration of international institutes and academies (such as the Istituto Marangoni, the Accademia del Lusso, the Istituto Polimoda, the Istituto Europeo di Design - IED, and others) and represents a centre of excellence due to in-depth expertise in the fields of Industrial Engineering and Artistic Design.
The steadfast commitment to excellence has led many international companies to invest in prestigious Italian brands and invest in production facilities in Italy
Among many international and Italian companies, there is a widespread ambition to relocalise production in Italy (“re-shoring”). Primary investment opportunities embrace a wide range of investment projects.
