Carlo Capasa

Carlo Capasa is the Chairman of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI), the association that groups Italian fashion brands to promote this high performing sector of Italian industry.

Appointed a director of Camera Nazionale della Moda for the first time in 2010 and elected Chairman in 2015 to orchestrate a relaunching of the Association, Capasa has introduced a strategic vision focused on five pillars: environmental and social sustainability, digitalization, training, promotion of new brands and storytelling.

Under the Carlo Capasa’s guidance, CNMI has become a world-leading force amongst fashion associations on the subject of sustainability, with the publication in 2016 of the first “Guidelines on eco- toxicological requisites for articles of clothing, leather goods, footwear and accessories”; “CNMI principles for sustainable retailing” (2017); “Guidelines on eco-toxicological requisites for chemical mixtures and industrial waste” (2018); “Scientific research into the bio-availability of carcinogenic aromatic amines” (2018); “Global Sustainability Report – Sustainability matters, but does it sell?” (2019) in collaboration with McKinsey & Company; “Diversity and Inclusion Manifesto” (2019); in collaboration with the Fair Wage Network, “Social Sustainability Report” and “Social Sustainability Roadmap”(2020) and “Good manufacturing practice – Guidelines on the use of chemical products in fashion production chains” (2021), based on work by CNMI’s Chemicals Committee.

Carlo Capasa organized the first three editions of the “International Roundtable on Sustainability”, an international convention for CSR managers from fashion companies all over the world; the first four editions of the “Green Carpet Fashion Awards” and the first two “CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards”; the first CNMI Summit – “Crafting the Future” – organized with Bain Company and The Business of Fashion; and the following exhibitions: “Crafting the Future of Fashion, stories of Crafts and Innovation”, curated by Franca Sozzani; “Italiana. L’Italia vista dalla Moda. 1971-2001”, curated by Maria Luisa Frisa and Stefano Tonchi; “Memos. A proposito della moda in questo millennio”, curated by Maria Luisa Frisa.

Carlo Capasa has been on the management committee of Altagamma, of which he is vice-president Fashion, since December 2020, and a director of the association INDICAM since May 2021.

He was born in Lecce (Puglia), where he studied classics before moving to Milan. In this city, he embarked on a successful business career and contributed to the growth some major fashion brands. Carlo Capasa was CEO at Costume National until March 2016, when the brand he had founded with his brother Ennio in 1986 was sold to a Japanese group.