The Monitor for Circular Fashion at SDA Bocconi and CNA Federmoda Bring the Voice of Italian Businesses to Brussels

At a crucial time of transformation for Italian companies in the fashion supply chain—a sector that has seen its business base shrink by 30% over the past 15 years, with more than 33,000 companies disappearing—the Monitor for Circular Fashion at SDA Bocconi and CNA Federmoda brought the voice of circular innovation to the European Parliament, contributing to a strategic dialogue with policymakers.

On June 11–12, 2025, the Monitor for Circular Fashion (M4CF) organized a two-day mission in Brussels involving partner companies, representatives from European institutions, and stakeholders from the fashion industry. The initiative presented a key opportunity to discuss the future of European regulations regarding sustainability and circularity for the textile, Clothing, Leather, and footwear (TCLF) sector.

During the two-day mission, M4CF companies presented the work of three dedicated working groups—focused on ecodesign and waste management, social impact, and technologies—launched in 2025 to develop concrete and realistic recommendations to support the sector’s sustainable and circular transition.

On June 12, M4CF SDA Bocconi and CNA Federmoda, with support from CNA Brussels, hosted the event “Circular Economy and the Fashion Sector: A Dialogue on Priorities” at the European Parliament. Among the key topics: the importance of tailoring regulations to company size, promoting a “smart mix” between large and small players, and the need to strengthen partnerships between upstream and downstream actors in the supply chain.

Key points from the position paper developed by the working groups were presented by Francesca Romana Rinaldi, Director of M4CF SDA Bocconi, alongside representatives from the Monitor’s partner companies:

• Rossella Ravagli, Sustainability Director, Armani Group
• Simon Giuliani, Global Marketing Director, Candiani Denim
• Maria Teresa Betti, CSR Manager, RadiciGroup
• Silvia Mazzanti, Sustainability Director, Save The Duck
• Marco Guazzoni, Sustainability Director, Vibram

According to CNA Federmoda, compared to 2009, the fashion sector in 2024 recorded a loss of 33,677 businesses (-29.7%), half of which belonged to the artisan sector (-17,988 companies). This represents not just a loss of businesses but also of cultural and educational capital—resulting in the erosion of ‘Made in Italy’ as both a label and an economic and social value.

To avoid further losses, new supply chain relationships are needed as a lever for sustainability—ones in which SMEs are viewed not as weak links but as pillars of the Made in Italy model.

The dialogue was further enriched by the presentation of the book Circular Fashion Management, edited by Francesca Romana Rinaldi, Director of M4CF at SDA Bocconi. The book proposes new ESG models for the fashion sector, integrating managerial tools with a systemic vision. The final chapter highlights the importance of collaboration between small, medium, and large enterprises.

The meeting also highlighted the strategic role of the EU Textiles Ecosystem Platform, established by the European Commission, in fostering dialogue between businesses and institutions, as well as facilitating the exchange of knowledge and best practices, particularly in engaging and training SMEs across the supply chain.

This mission reaffirms the Monitor for Circular Fashion’s commitment to fostering structured dialogue between companies and European policymakers, ensuring that emerging regulations are effective, actionable, and capable of accelerating the transition to a circular, fair, and competitive economy for the fashion industry.

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