SWISS NATIONAL CHAMBER OF FASHION
Founded on 18 January 2007 · Institutional Symbol: Madre Helvetia®
Non Profit Association of Public Utility.
Representing the highest values of Fashion, Art and Culture in the world.
With internationally renowned designers and institutions united by a single vision:
quality, beauty and uncompromising innovation.
Ethical, Cruelty-Free, Sustainable. Against counterfeiting and unfair competition.
For the dignity of people, respect for animals and the environment.
58 International Memoranda of Understanding.
Vigilantia
Fortitudo
Libertas
Pacificatio
Concordia
I. Legal Nature and Regulatory Basis
The Swiss National Chamber of Fashion (CNMS) is a non-profit institution representing the highest cultural values of Fashion, Art and Culture with a strong Swiss identity throughout the world, established on 18 January 2007 in Switzerland pursuant to Arts. 60 et seq. of the Swiss Civil Code (CC), operating in full compliance with the principles of the Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation.
The CNMS pursues no profit motive. Every resource acquired is entirely reinvested in the institutional activities of the Chamber for the exclusive benefit of its cultural mission, in accordance with its legal nature and the spirit of Arts. 60 et seq. CC. Any contribution by occasional collaborators takes place pursuant to applicable Swiss law. The CNMS operates under full accounting and management transparency.
The founding values of the Chamber: Vigilantia · Fortitudo · Libertas · Pacificatio · Concordia
These values constitute the ethical and institutional foundation of every action undertaken by the Chamber, in full consonance with the federal and solidarity spirit that has characterised the Swiss Confederation for centuries, expressed in its highest and most shared civic tradition: «Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno» — One for all, all for one.
II. INSTITUTIONAL MISSION
The CNMS represents and protects the highest cultural, artistic and ethical values of Swiss fashion, at home and abroad. Founded on a strong national identity and an international vision, it has combined elegance, culture, creativity and institutional responsibility, becoming an authoritative reference point for the Swiss fashion system in the world.
The CNMS works to:
01
PROMOTION
Swiss Designers · Fashion Shows · Workshops · International Exchange
Promote Swiss designers through institutional fashion shows, qualified presentations, fashion talks and professional workshops — ensuring direct exchange with national and international high-profile professionals in accordance with the standards of excellence that distinguish Switzerland in the global creative landscape.
02
GENERATION
New Generation · Talents · Masterclasses · Made in Switzerland
Steadfastly support New Generation Designers of Made in Switzerland, offering young Swiss talents the concrete opportunity to express their creativity alongside established designers on the same institutional stage. At every event, the CNMS promotes institutional masterclasses in which top-tier professionals convey creative vision, ethical values and the culture of Made in Switzerland. The Chamber declares its availability to develop structured partnerships with fashion education institutes sharing the same standards of excellence and responsibility.
03
ENCOUNTER
International Exchanges · Cultural Diplomacy · UNESCO Convention 2005 · Artistic Residencies
Promote Switzerland as a privileged venue for encounters between cultures, creativity and human values — hosting and facilitating international exchanges between young talents, emerging designers, artists and creatives from all over the world in an authentic dialogue that transcends geographical, linguistic and cultural boundaries. The CNMS believes that fashion, art and culture are the most powerful universal language for building bridges between peoples, generations and diverse traditions. In this vision, every event promoted by the Chamber becomes a living laboratory of cultural diplomacy — where Swiss artisan heritage dialogues with the creative expressions of the entire world, where young Swiss talents confront their international peers, and where cultural diversities are not barriers but inexhaustible creative resources. The CNMS commits to creating structured programmes of artistic residencies, intercultural masterclasses, international training exchanges and co-creation platforms between designers, photographers, visual artists and luxury artisans from every continent — in full alignment with UNESCO principles for the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions (UNESCO Convention 2005) and with Switzerland's historic vocation as a welcoming, neutral and open country.
04
EXCELLENCE
Swiss Luxury · UNESCO Watchmaking · Jewellery · High Artisan Manufacturing
Value and promote the entire ecosystem of Swiss luxury — from fashion to watchmaking, from jewellery to high artisan manufacturing — as a unified and unsurpassable expression of Switzerland's creative, technical and cultural identity in the world. The craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking of the Jura Arc, inscribed in 2020 on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity jointly with France, and the centuries-old goldsmith and jewellery tradition of Geneva represent, together with fashion, the pillars of a unique and inimitable Swiss luxury system. The CNMS positions itself as the natural institutional interlocutor of this integrated ecosystem, promoting its creative synergy and international projection.
05
CULTURE
Fashion as Art · Photography · Swiss Identity · Creative Diplomacy
Affirm fashion as an authentic cultural language and contemporary art form — integrating photography, design, painting, sculpture, architecture and performing arts in an interdisciplinary project to enhance Swiss identity. The CNMS operates in full coherence with the cultural policy objectives of the Swiss Confederation, as defined in the Federal Act on the Promotion of Culture (2009) and the Culture Dispatch 2025–2028 adopted by the Federal Council — contributing, as an autonomous private entity complementary to public cultural promotion instruments, to the international projection of Switzerland's image through fashion, art and creativity.
06
SYNERGY
Fashion · Art · Culture · Economy · International Swiss Identity
Build structured collaborations between fashion, art, culture and economy — contributing to the strengthening of Switzerland’s international identity and to the promotion of sustainable innovation as a pillar of Swiss excellence in the world.
07
DIALOGUE
Embassies · Memoranda of Understanding · International Diplomatic Relations
Develop and maintain formal relations with public bodies, embassies, consulates and international organisations — promoting collaboration agreements, memoranda of understanding and joint cultural initiatives in full respect of diplomatic procedures and applicable institutional standards.
08
PROTECTION
Intellectual Property · Anti-Counterfeiting · Made in Switzerland · International Regulations
Actively defend the creativity and intellectual property of Swiss designers and maisons, countering every form of counterfeiting, unfair competition and incorrect commercial practice that jeopardises the integrity and reputation of Made in Switzerland — operating in full compliance with the Federal Act on the Protection of Trade Marks, the Federal Copyright Act (LDA), the Swiss Code of Obligations and applicable international regulations on intellectual property and protection of origin.
09
LEGALITY
UN · ILO · UNGP · Ethical Due Diligence · Operational Transparency
Adhere to and enforce the principles of ethical due diligence in every operational sphere, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC, 1989), ILO Conventions No. 138 on the minimum age for admission to employment and No. 182 on the worst forms of child labour, the Swiss Federal Labour Act and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP, 2011) — guaranteeing full transparency, integrity and responsibility in every phase of institutional and promotional activity. These principles find concrete expression also in the international civic commitment of Victims of Beauty — Silence Kills Dignity, a Swiss Non Profit Association of Public Utility founded by the same President, dedicated to the protection of human dignity.
10
HERITAGE
Artisan Tradition · Multilingual Identity · Applied Arts · Cultural Memory
Preserve and enhance the cultural and artistic heritage of Switzerland in the fashion sector and applied arts — combining artisan tradition, creative innovation and multilingual national identity in a project of excellence that is internationally recognisable and respected.
11
SUSTAINABILITY
Circularity · LPAn · OPAn · Decarbonisation · Environmental and Social Responsibility
Promote eco-compatible and socially responsible production practices, encouraging the adoption of certified materials and processes respectful of the environment, people and animals pursuant to the Swiss Federal Law on the Protection of Animals (LPAn) and the Ordinance on the Protection of Animals (OPAn) — actively contributing to the transition towards a conscious and circular fashion system, in full coherence with the Swiss Confederation's environmental commitments and the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.
12
EDUCATION
Scholarships · Mentorship · Schools and Academies · School–Industry Dialogue
Promote the culture of fashion as an educational language, an instrument of civic responsibility and a vehicle for the transmission of artisan and creative knowledge — through structured training programmes, scholarships and mentorship paths. The CNMS declares its availability to develop formal collaborations with higher education institutions, fashion schools, art and design academies, and Swiss and international universities sharing the same standards of excellence, ethics and quality — in a systemic logic in which the world of education and the professional world of fashion meet, mutually enrich each other, and together build the creative, artisan and cultural competencies of the future. The Chamber particularly promotes direct dialogue between students, young designers and industry professionals, offering new generations the opportunity to engage with the real world of Swiss fashion, art and luxury already during their academic journey. The CNMS is open to memoranda of understanding with educational institutions of any country, with respect for institutional reciprocity, the quality of shared educational standards, and the autonomy of each party involved.
13
INCLUSION
Equity · Equal Opportunities · Human Rights · Authentic Representation
Value diversity as a creative and institutional resource — promoting equity, equal opportunities and authentic representation in the Swiss fashion ecosystem, in line with the fundamental principles of the Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation and the international human rights conventions to which Switzerland is a party.
14
NETWORKING
Public-Private Bridges · Luxury · Designers · Institutions · Global Partners
Build strategic bridges between the public and private sectors — creating connections between designers, institutions, cultural associations, academies, luxury ambassadors and international partners from all over the world, to consolidate Switzerland as a recognised centre of creative, ethical and innovative excellence in the global fashion and luxury landscape.
III. Madre Helvetia® — Institutional Symbol and Solemn Presence
Helvetia has always accompanied Switzerland — imprinted on coins since 1850, a silent symbol of a Nation. On 18 January 2007, Franco Taranto — international visual artist, Swiss and Italian citizen residing in Switzerland for over thirty years — performs an unprecedented act in Swiss history: he transforms that effigy into a living, solemn and itinerant human presence, officially registering it as a trademark and institutional symbol of the CNMS.
Madre Helvetia® appears on stage in a red dress reinterpreted over the years in versions by high-profile creative designers, shield bearing the Swiss cross and lance — the warrior who defends the Mother Country, its culture, its identity, its beauty. The figure is itinerant: interpreted for each occasion, she brings the living face of the Confederation to the most significant venues of Swiss history and international diplomacy.
Madre Helvetia® officially materialised on 16 August 2014 at the Palazzo Civico in Lugano, in the presence of the entire Federal Council — representing a moment of high symbolic value for national identity. Since that day, Madre Helvetia® has graced the stages of the highest Swiss and international institutions — acclaimed by the people, documented by history. Every stage of this journey has been captured over time by over forty years of professional photographic work, which has built the entire iconographic archive of Madre Helvetia® to this day, and which finds continued expression also in New Faces — Photographic Art and Image, an entity dedicated exclusively to photographic productions and high-image projects.
IV. The First Memorandum of Understanding — Bari, 26 November 2007
The first international Memorandum of Understanding of the CNMS was signed on 26 November 2007 at the Fiera del Levante in Bari, on the occasion of the Italian-Swiss economic conference, in the presence of distinguished institutional representatives:
| H.E. Doris Leuthard | Federal Councillor · Vice-President of the Swiss Confederation · Head of the |
|---|---|
| H.E. Bruno Spinner | Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation to Italy |
| Hon. Franco Marini | President of the Senate of the Italian Republic |
| Dr. Vincenzo Divella | President of the Province of Bari |
| Franco Taranto | Founding President of the Swiss National Chamber of Fashion |
| Paolo Marinuzzi | President of the Mediterranean Fashion Chamber |
V. Activities, Events and International Relations
In the course of its activity, the CNMS has conceived, organised and promoted events of national and international importance, consolidating its institutional presence in Switzerland and in the main Swiss diplomatic venues abroad. Summary of principal initiatives: The roots of this journey lie in Swiss territory, in continuity with Miss e Mister Ticino, a historic event active since 1988.
Fashion Under The Stars
18 editions · Patronage: City of Lugano, Locarno, Ascona
Swiss Fashion World – Lugano
4 editions · Patronage: Canton and City of Lugano
Swiss Fashion World – Swiss Consulate Milan
1 edition · Patronage: Swiss Confederation
Fashion Week in Switzerland
6 editions · Patronage: Lugano, Canton Ticino
Swiss Fashion World – Campione d'Italia
3 editions · Patronage: City of Campione d'Italia, Italian Consulate
Swiss Fashion World – Swiss Embassy Rome
4 editions · Patronage: Swiss Confederation
Swiss National Day – Swiss Embassy Rome
4 editions · Patronage: Swiss Confederation
Fashion Week Lugano
2 editions (May and November) · LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura · Patronage: City of Lugano
Fashion for Dignity – Palazzo Marino Milan
3 editions · Patronage: City of Milan
These events featured Swiss designers of the New Generation, alongside internationally acclaimed professionals including — by way of example — Pierre Cardin, Rocco Barocco, Alessandra Gucci, Anton Giulio Grande, Lorenzo Riva, Gay Mattiolo, Addy Van den Krommenacker, Giuseppe Fata, Jamal Taslaq, Raffaella Curriel, Alessandro Consiglio, Camillo Bona, Gruppo La Perla and Impero Couture.
Documented Institutional Presence of Madre Helvetia®:
Palazzo Civico di Lugano
reception of the entire Federal Council with official photograph of President Burkhalter and the Federal Councillors
Swiss Embassy Rome
8 presences with performance of the Swiss and Italian National Anthems. On 25 July 2018, Ambassador Kessler publicly thanked the CNMS for its collaboration during his tenure in his address before over 1,000 guests · Patronage: Swiss Confederation
12 September 2014
Expo Milano 2015 – Swiss Pavilion — Laying of the First Stone in the presence of Nicolas Bideau (FDFA) and Manuele Bertoli (President of the Council of State, Canton Ticino, and other institutional figures)
Expo Milan
official photograph with Matteo Renzi, President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic
Grütli – Federal National Day
official presence with photograph alongside Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, former Federal Councillor and President of Pro Senectute
Bern
Federal Palace and Palazzo delle Orsoline — official photographs with the Ticino Delegation to the Federal Chambers, including then National Councillor Ignazio Cassis — future Federal Councillor from 2017, President of the Confederation in 2022 and Vice-President in 2026
VI. Institutional Structure and Governance
The CNMS is led by its Founding President Franco Taranto — Creator, Founder and sole holder of the Intellectual Property of the Swiss National Chamber of Fashion and its institutional symbol Madre Helvetia®.
The Executive Committee:
- Bianca GervasioExecutive Member since 2007
- Addy Van den KrommenackerExecutive Member since 2011
- Anton Giulio GrandeExecutive Member since 2014 · Ambassador of Italian and Swiss Fashion in the world
- Giuseppe FataExecutive Member since 2017
- Dimitar DradiExecutive Member since 2017
- Maristella PatuzziExecutive Member since 2017
- Massimo BasileExecutive Member since 2025
- Carmelo AliExecutive Member since 2026
VII. Institutional Communication — Swiss Fashion TV · World Magazine
The CNMS has developed the multimedia editorial platform Swiss Fashion TV · World Magazine — an international non-profit project dedicated to the promotion of Swiss fashion, art and design, through cultural reportage, qualified journalistic content and institutional communication initiatives of wide international reach. Swiss Fashion TV effectively represents an institutional branch of the Chamber, with editorial coverage extending to Fashion Weeks and the most prestigious institutional venues in the world — achieved largely through content shared directly by the very protagonists of the industry, by designers, institutions and partner entities from all over the world, evidence of an international network that carries the name of Switzerland well beyond its own borders, with 58 international Memoranda of Understanding in the world.
The Swiss National Chamber of Fashion is an institution that belongs to Switzerland — and carries Switzerland to the world.
Franco Taranto — Founding President
Creator, Founder and sole holder of the Intellectual Property of the Swiss National Chamber of Fashion and its institutional symbol Madre Helvetia® · Sole Proprietorship · since 18 January 2007