Made in Italy by the Chinese Ep1 -- Fast Fashion

Editor's note:

The 'Made in Italy' label conveys a message of sheer luxury and high quality. But behind the label, the contribution of the Chinese is little known.

These four-episodes of 'Made in Italy … by the Chinese' is an investigation into why one Chinese community established itself in Italy, how it became involved in the fashion business and what the future holds for the next generation of Chinese producing fashion under the Made in Italy label.

Fast Fashion

For centuries, the medieval city of Prato in Tuscany has been one of the leading Italian textile centers. But in the 1990s, the city was suffering a labor shortage and struggled to meet the rapid pace of change in the fashion market. As a result, Chinese immigrants flooded to the city to work for the Italians to produce fast and cheap products. Now, one out of four residents in Prato is Chinese, many of whom are involved in "Fast Fashion", or Pronto Moda in Italian.