The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM) and the National Chamber of Italian Fashion (CNMI) have developed a voluntary ESG harmonization framework, based on principles of corporate conduct in the environmental, social, and governance spheres, accompanied by training initiatives to promote its adoption throughout the value chain.

The ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) framework was finalized in April 2026 and represents the first concrete result of the French-Italian initiative launched in 2024.

The initiative stems from the need to prevent the fragmentation of ESG approaches, thereby avoiding a growing administrative burden on suppliers—particularly small workshops, the guardians of the artisanal craftsmanship that forms the foundation of high-end excellence—and to ease excessive pressure on the sector’s most vulnerable players.

The two institutions will continue working to bring the framework to life among different kind of stakeholders. They will constitute a consortium of universities and schools so as to support the development of ESG best practices and skills throughout the whole supply chain.