Tod’s has won in Italy’s Court of Cassation against prosecutor Paolo Storari, who had sought to place the fashion group under special administration on allegations of unlawful labour exploitation. However, the Milan Prosecutor’s Office is pressing ahead, entering the company and three of its managers in the register of persons under investigation, together with a request to ban Tod’s from advertising its products for six months.

The Della Valle-owned company responded immediately, highlighting in a statement the “worrying timing” of prosecutor Storari. “The company is now calmly reviewing the additional material submitted,” having “taken note that the Court of Cassation has rejected the requests and the appeal of prosecutor Paolo Storari.”

“We would like to reiterate that our group is often considered a model of conduct and has always given the utmost consideration to the health and quality of life of its employees,” continues the statement from Tod’s, a company that employs more than 5,000 people worldwide.

“Regardless of the allegations against Tod’s, which will be addressed in the appropriate venues, we believe it is absolutely necessary to establish rules that allow companies to operate with peace of mind and, at the same time, ensure a rigorous system of controls that safeguards quality and the dignity of labour. By doing so, we can protect the reputation of Made in Italy worldwide, avoiding raising doubts that could negatively affect consumer confidence,” Tod’s adds.

“Read in this light, our invitation to magistrates to visit our factories and those of many other companies is intended to allow them to observe first-hand the excellent quality of the workplaces and working conditions. The theory that Italian luxury companies sell expensive products while underpaying employees, besides being unfounded, causes serious harm to our national system,” the note further reads.

“Given the dismay our employees may feel when reading such unfounded reports, we take this opportunity to renew our full confidence in them for the excellent work they do for the success of the Group,” concludes Tod’s statement.