The two companies made misleading statements regarding their ethical and social responsibility commitments, which were contradicted by the actual working conditions identified at the suppliers and subcontractors to whom the majority of the production of Armani branded leather bags and accessories had been outsourced.

The Italian Competition Authority imposed a fine of 3.5 million euros on the companies Giorgio Armani S.p.A. e G.A. Operations S.p.A. for engaging in a misleading commercial practice under the Consumer Code, carried out from April 22, 2022, to February 18, 2025.

In particular, the companies made ethical and social responsibility statements that were untruthful and presented in a manner that was unclear, unspecific, inaccurate, and equivocal.

Such statements are contained in the companies’ Code of Ethics, as well as in documents published on the Armani Values (www.armanivalues.com) and Armani (www.Armani.com) websites, which include a link redirecting users to the Armani Values website.

The investigation conducted by the Authority revealed, on the one hand, that the companies emphasized their commitment to sustainability—particularly social responsibility, including toward workers and their safety—which became a marketing tool used to meet growing consumer expectations. The very name of the corporate website (Armani Values) reflects this strategy, as do certain documents obtained during inspections, which clearly show the objective of “enhancing the positive perception of the brand in terms of sustainability … and, from a commercial perspective … leading the customer to make purchasing decisions that are also informed by the ‘values’ conveyed through our products”.

On the other hand, the companies chose to outsource a substantial portion of their production of leather bags and accessories to suppliers who, in turn, relied on subcontractors. At several of these subcontracting facilities, it was found that safety devices had been removed from machinery in order to increase production capacity, thereby placing workers’ health and safety at serious risk. Furthermore, sanitary and hygiene conditions were inadequate, and workers were frequently employed either wholly or partially off the books.

In this context, it is evident that the protection of workers’ rights and health did not align with the content of the ethical and social responsibility statements disseminated by Giorgio Armani S.p.A. e G.A. Operations S.p.A..

The companies’ awareness of this situation—seriously detrimental to the workers producing Armani branded leather bags and accessories—is further demonstrated by the fact that, during an inspection by the Judicial Police, an employee of G.A. Operations responsible for quality control was present at the subcontractor’s facility and stated that he had been “visiting that workshop on a monthly basis for approximately six months”.

Finally, in an internal document of Giorgio Armani S.p.A. dated 2024—prior to the initiation of judicial administration proceedings requested by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Milan—it is even stated that “in the best of the situations observed, the working environment is at the limit of acceptability; in other cases, there are serious concerns regarding its adequacy and health standards”.

Rome, 1 August 2025

• Testo del provvedimento