39;Going it alone39; out of fashion as challenges grow
Protects 39;Made in Italy39; reputation, craftsmanship
Italy does not have the big luxury giants of neighbour France

MILAN, July 14 Reuters Italy39;s luxury fashion groups, which for decades jealously guarded their independence, have started teaming up to protect their supply chains and the Italian roots of smaller companies, showing a new spirit of collaboration.

Control of the supply chain has become increasingly important for luxury brands, ensuring products get to shops on time and avoiding reputational risks linked to sourcing of raw materials or labour conditions.

Italy39;s patchwork of specialist artisan workshops and familyowned labels offer particularly rich pickings for larger companies with the cash to cement relationships through investment.

In this spirit, Prada and fellow Italian fashion brand Ermenegildo Zegna in June acquired a minority stake in knitwear company Luigi Fedeli e Figlio, based in Monza, just north of Milan.

The familyowned company, which has a focus on cashmere and jumpers, was founded in 1934 and is distributed in 13 ownbrand boutiques and around 400 multibrand stores worldwide.

Prada and Zegna had previously invested jointly in Filati Biagioli Modesto S.p.A. in 2021, acquiring a majority stake in one of their suppliers, specialised in the production of cashmere and other luxury yarns.

We invested in Biagioli to relaunch a company that was in crisis, while for Fedeli it39;s a…