- On 8 October 2025, Milan prosecutors asked to place Tod’s SpA under court administration over alleged labour exploitation in its Italian supply chain. They claim the company “culpably failed” to oversee its suppliers while pursuing higher profits.
- The measure hasn’t been imposed yet. The Supreme Court will first hold a hearing on 19 November to decide if the case stays in Milan or moves to the Marche region, where Tod’s is based.
- If approved, Tod’s would be the sixth Italian luxury brand placed under judicial administration since early 2024, following Dior, Armani, Loro Piana, Valentino Bags Lab, and Alviero Martini.
Key Findings:
- The violations took place between 2023 and 2025 among subcontractors at the end of Tod’s supply chain in the Milan area and the Marche region.
- In the Milan area, Tod’s assigned the production of company uniforms to a firm with no production capacity. That firm subcontracted the work to another Italian company, which then passed it on to two Chinese-owned factories. After inspections by the Carabinieri labour-protection unit, the two factories were placed under investigation for worker exploitation.
- In the Marche region, Tod’s contracted two Chinese-owned workshops to make uppers and footwear components. One of them subcontracted again to another factory. Inspectors found workers were paid on a piece-rate basis, earning €2.75–€3 per hour, less than half the national contract rate. Employers also deducted €150 for housing and €100 for food each month.
- In ADA, Due Diligence Design’s global risk assessment database, Italy scores extremely high for migrant-worker risks, including forced labour, excessive hours, and informal work. Further legal actions in Italy’s luxury supply chain are expected.