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Economy of Beauty is the corporate culture platform of Banca Ifis’ Social Impact Lab Kaleidos, conceived and launched in 2021. The project was created with the aim of giving a voice to that cross-cutting sector of our economy connected to the concept of Beauty, and to those companies that base their activities on the enhancement of Italian heritage, leveraging management skills and technology.

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Our report

The seventh edition of Economy of Beauty continues its investigation into the value beauty brings to Italy, focusing on the managerial strategies that can strengthen the global positioning of Made in Italy companies.

Learn more about the 2026 edition

The study highlights that beauty is still a sector with a significant impact at national level, accounting for 28% of Italy’s GDP. Particularly this year, we have emphasised the characteristics of 12 virtuous companies and the management practices that set them apart; these are diverse organisations, but all are capable of transforming their ‘know-how’ into a competitive system that goes beyond mere technical excellence to become a vehicle for culture and an industrial strategy.

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Managing Excellency: a model for the finest craftsmanship

As part of focus 2026, we have turned our attention to the managerial levers that can strengthen the global positioning of ‘Made in Italy’ companies. To this end, we analysed 12 virtuous companies across six material categories: ceramics, wood, marble, metal, textiles and glass, and conducted a quantitative survey of 400 companies in the artistic crafts, mechanical engineering and other manufacturing, fashion, and home furnishings sectors.
Five key factors were identified for strengthening the ‘Made in Italy’ brand, capable of enhancing the skills of Master Craftsmen, who represent a replicable and competitive model based on a combination of expertise and strategic vision.

Our numbers

The Economy of Beauty continues to perform strongly: between 2019 and 2025, the sector grew by 33%, from 462 to 614 billion. The following sectors contributed significantly to this growth: design-driven companies, representing the most characteristic sectors of Made in Italy, and cultural and landscape tourism.

28%

the contribution of this sector to GDP in 2025

60%

Companies that invest in technology

46 billions

The highest annual value of domestic production if businesses were to implement at least one of the investments set out in the model

Archivio Italia by Vanity Fair

Archivio Italia, a project by Vanity Fair, presents INSIEME, an exhibition curated by Sabato De Sarno, with Banca Ifis as its main partner. A tribute to the excellence of Made in Italy, interpreted through Italian craftsmanship, in which techniques, materials and expertise are transformed into a shared and universal language of design, with the aim of telling the human stories behind the craftsmanship and manufacturing excellence.

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