What will become of Made in Italy?

1. The misunderstanding around “Made in Italy”

Many believe that Made in Italy is simply the name on the label or the founder’s surname written above the door. In reality, it is at least three different things.

Made in italy

What will become of Made in Italy?

A production systemTextile districts, leather goods, footwear, knitwear, tailoring, accessories, textile chemistry, machinery.This system can continue to exist even without a “great designer” on the cover.

An aesthetic languageA specific way of interpreting the body, color, sensuality, proportion.A luxury expressed softly, built through detail, fabric hand, and balance.This comes from culture, history, cities, habits, not only from one genius.

A narrative mythThe idea of the great Italian master who builds an empire from nothing: Armani, Versace, Ferragamo, Valentino.This is the part that will naturally come to an end, because no one is immortal.What disappears is not Made in Italy itself, but a certain type of storytelling attached to it.

2. After the masters: what does Italy really risk?

When the great names are gone, the risk is not only aesthetic, but also one of power.

Brands may end up in the hands of foundations, holdings, international funds.Decisions are no longer made by “Mr. Armani in via Borgonuovo”, but by a board focused on KPIs, ROI, stock listings, not on the soul of a collection.The brand remains “Italian” in appearance, but direction becomes global, hybrid, more financial than cultural.

The real danger is that Made in Italy becomes just a production label, like “100% cotton”, instead of a cultural vision.Italy risks becoming the factory of luxury, not the place where luxury is conceived.

3. Will there be a new generation of Italian designers?

Yes, there will. But not a replica of the 80s–90s.

Young Italian designers today are in a space between opportunity and trap.

Opportunities

• They can be discovered online without knocking at closed maison doors.

• They can build global micro-brands, strong niches, communities.

• They can use AI, 3D, print-on-demand and new technologies to prototype, test, and sell.

Traps

• Luxury giants are consolidated and dominant. It is difficult to grow a new independent maison to that scale.

• The market is saturated, fast, distracted.

• In Italy, entrepreneurship is risky, expensive, and not well protected.

So yes, a new generation exists and will grow — but probably:

• more fragmented

• less mythologized

• entrepreneurial or short-lived

• international, often torn between living in Italy and working abroad

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4. Will they be able to build companies, not just collections?

This is the most delicate question.

Creating a fashion company today means:

• understanding a balance sheet

• knowing what margin, cash flow, investment, equity mean

• planning logistics, production, suppliers, e-commerce, retail

• managing people, contracts, timing, responsibility

The truth is that much fashion education has produced generations of “creative employees”: excellent at portfolios, less at building companies.

If schools, institutions, and mentors do not change approach, we will have:

• many students who make beautiful moodboards

• few who can negotiate with an investor

• almost none prepared to endure ten years of sacrifice to build real structure

To create future Italian entrepreneurs, three things are needed:

Designer + Business PartnerEnough with the lone genius myth. We need creative + strategic duos, as seen in many success stories.

Hybrid educationFashion + business + digital.If we don’t teach students how to sell, they will keep the dream but lack tools.

A supportive ecosystemLower bureaucratic friction, access to credit, incubators.If every entrepreneurial attempt feels like war, talent leaves or settles for employment.

5. Three possible futures for Made in Italy

Let’s imagine three scenarios.

Scenario A — The luxury factory

• Historic brands continue, but owned by global funds and groups.

• Creative directors may be Italian, French, Korean, American — it doesn’t matter.

• Italy becomes the place where products are made for international brands.

• Made in Italy remains a sign of quality, but no longer the leading cultural voice of fashion.

Not a tragic future — but more industrial than visionary.

Scenario B — A new Italian Renaissance

Here, something different happens:

• New Italian houses emerge without copying Versace or Armani — instead telling the story of Italy today:multicultural, diverse, sustainable, digital, contemporary.

• They may not be giants, but solid, recognizable brands with loyal audiences.

• Every district could be an incubator of independent brands: local production, global communication.

This future requires cultural courage, not only technology.

Scenario C — The living museum

• Big names become exhibitions, retrospectives, tribute capsules.

• Archives shine, while risk-taking fades.

• Young Italians, lacking space, move abroad.

• Made in Italy survives as nostalgia, while innovation relocates.

This is the scenario to avoid — and yet, some signs already exist.

6. How do we recognize a “new Armani”?

Not by size, but by cultural weight. A few signals:

• A coherent language: season after season you recognize the hand, the proportions, the light.

• Influence without noise: not loud on social media, yet capable of shifting what people call “elegant”.

• Structure, not just talent: a team, a method, a system — not just a portfolio.

• Attraction: if young designers from abroad move here to learn their method, something meaningful is happening.

• Long-term thinking: respect for heritage, but not imitation.

When we see someone like this, even at a small scale, we will know we are witnessing a new piece of Italian fashion history.

7. The real question is: what do we do now?

The future of Made in Italy is not decided after the giants disappear.It is decided today, by:

• what values schools transmit

• how artisans, factories, and territories are treated

• what mentality we give to young people:“Find a stable job in a famous brand”, or“Learn how to create value — then decide where to build it.”

The Made in Italy of tomorrow depends on whether we train not only fashion workers, but future builders.

What will become of Made in Italy?

A reflection written by Angelo Russica, together with his invisible colleague: Artificial Intelligence.