Italy is keen to make its fashion industry truly eco-sustainable. A new loan program has been designed to provide concrete support to the introduction of eco-responsible fashion industry practices.

For the very first time, a fashion industry association and a bank are launching a funding project entirely dedicated to sustainability. A list of ecological criteria valid for the whole industry has been drawn up. But for fashion labels to be able to comply with these standards, the entire manufacturing and supply chain must be able to adopt them. This means the industry in its entirety must be involved in the transformation and follow the same direction.

The idea is to fund medium to long-term investments designed to improve manufacturing operations, for example, by eliminating dangerous substances from textile production or using clean energy. Small suppliers of major Made-in-Italy labels have been allowed to access credit finance on terms that were the same as those generally accorded to more powerful corporations.

Sustainability has now become the differentiating factor among brands. The Green Carpet Fashion Awards will be presented for the first time at the forthcoming Milan Fashion Week, a sort of Oscars for eco-sustainable fashion. Eco-sustainability has become a rallying cry.