Associations, organizations, and trade unions

Industry organizations not only help promote the fashion industry worldwide but serve as vehicles for industry peer recognition, events planning, fashion-trend reporting, career opportunity, industry forums, government lobbying, setting standards, philanthropy, education and scholarship, public service, and social responsibility. The most notable organizations in the United States are American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Fashion Group International (FGI), Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the National Retailer's Association, American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), and the trade union UNITE HERE. In France, the prominent groups are Fédération Française de la Couture du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode, and the trade union, Force Ouvrière (FO). Other groups include, in England, the British Council of Fashion Designers and the Trade Union Confederation (TUC); in Italy, the Italian Trade Commission and the trade union Confederazione Italiana dei Sindacati Lavoratori (CISL); and, on a global level, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). (See listings in appendixes 4 and 5.)