Global Fashion Summit: Azzurra Morelli, CEO of Pellemoda, discusses climate adaptation

Climate adaptation is a supply chain issue and cannot be solved by a single brand. This was one of the messages delivered by Azzurra Morelli, ceo of Pellemoda (Holding Morelli), an Italian luxury manufacturing company and benefit corporation committed to integrating sustainability into its industrial processes. She spoke during the Global fashion summit, an international forum dedicated to sustainability in the fashion system, which took place in Copenhagen from May five to seven.

In her speech, Azzurra Morelli focused on the need to address climate adaptation as a supply chain issue, not as the responsibility of a single brand or supplier. “Climate adaptation cannot be solved company by company: it must be addressed as a challenge for the entire value chain,” the manager reiterated. She stressed that the future of luxury depends on the ability of production chains to maintain industrial continuity in a global scenario characterised by growing climate, energy and geopolitical instability.

Morelli focuses on climate adaptation as a supply chain issue

According to Morelli, the concept of adaptation must evolve from a simple issue of regulatory compliance to a genuine industrial strategy for the future competitiveness of 'Made in Italy'. This approach is particularly relevant for the Italian fashion system, which is based on a highly specialised network of brands, manufacturers, production districts, artisans and technology companies. “Resilience is not built in brands alone, but in the factories, laboratories, industrial districts and companies that transform materials every day,” she explained.

Vice president of Confindustria Toscana Centro e Costa with responsibility for gender equality and corporate culture, and a representative of Confindustria Moda, Azzurra Morelli is now internationally recognised as the face of a new generation of entrepreneurs. She is capable of leading the responsible transformation of the fashion system by combining manufacturing tradition, innovation and sustainability.

Azzurra Morelli’s participation was part of the “Climate adaptation in luxury value chains” panel. The panel was a strategic discussion dedicated to new resilient production models, the climate challenges affecting luxury supply chains and concrete solutions to ensure continuity, innovation and sustainability in the fashion sector.

Particular attention was paid to the issue of water and the vulnerability of textile and tanning supply chains to the effects of climate change. Morelli highlighted how water, energy and raw materials are now strategic elements for ensuring production continuity and economic competitiveness. In this context, she reiterated the importance of collective resource governance, based on public-private partnerships, shared metrics and technological innovation.

Strategic priorities discussed

In outlining a practical roadmap for the future of luxury supply chains, Morelli identified four strategic priorities: harmonising standards between brands and suppliers; digitalisation and traceability through tools like the Digital Product Passport; developing public-private partnerships; and the concrete experimentation of circular and resilient models.

Moderated by Guy Morgan, director of sustainability for Chanel's fashion division, the panel included international figures such as Leonardo Volpi, general director of Volfoni Spa, and Tilly Leeman, corporate sustainability research lead at Global Water Intelligence.