Technically, what the Carabinieri of Milan’s Labor Protection Unit carried out at the headquarters of 11 brands is called an “order to produce documents”. In practice, the procedure, requested by Milan public prosecutor Paolo Storari, consists of acquiring documentation relating to supplier relationships to verify what measures the companies have adopted “to prevent worker exploitation” along the supply chain, as Il Sole 24 Ore explains. If management frameworks that are not very effective in countering illegal labour brokerage emerge, some of the 11 brands involved in this round of investigations could be placed under judicial administration. As happened to companies ranging from Alviero Martini SpA to the Tod’s group, which from 2024 onward have been placed under, and in many cases have exited, the same legal mechanism in operations to combat illegal labor brokerage.
The July 2026 updates
The list of companies (all not under investigation) that received the order to hand over documentation includes Chanel, Brunello Cucinelli, Moncler and Goyard Italie. Additionally, the list includes Stefano Ricci, Bulgari, Etro, Jacob Cohen Company, Owenscorp Italia (Rick Owens), together with Brandart and F.VL (which provide services for brands). Milan’s prosecutors decided to look further into their position after finding goods being produced for them at Moda Fashion Style (Pero) and the Isacco workshop (Varese). In the two facilities, La Repubblica writes, law enforcement found labor-law violations, with undeclared workers sometimes without residence permits, forced to live in degrading conditions, as well as violations of workplace safety and health regulations.
What now?
“Now the companies will have to explain to investigators which measures they adopted”, Il Sole 24 Ore states. The worst-case scenario is that the brands relied on “shell companies” for supplies, without adopting effective policies to prevent them from subcontracting portions of work to unreliable Chinese-run companies. “We learned with surprise and regret that part of our material was found in an undignified workplace”, reads the note from the Brunello Cucinelli group. “These are products not intended for sale. We carried out documentation checks that didn’t reveal any critical issues. We have always paid a fair price”.
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Read also:
- Della Valle has his say on illegal labor brokering
- Labor exploitation: Prada intensifies audits and cuts 222 suppliers
