The Italian and French fashion systems are today two relevant and established models on the global scale. They have been defined in their current form by the evolution of policies and institutions since the end of the Second World War in both countries. These processes have defined the boundaries of a sector of considerable economic, political and cultural importance and interest. This work aims at providing a comparative study of these policies and interventions of both public and private sectors in Italy and France between 1945 and 1962 in the fashion field. Through the study of these two cases, it is possible to highlight the differences between the French experience, based on the centralization of interventions and ability, after the Second World War, to restart and establish itself once again on the international scenario, and the Italian experience that, despite internal contrasts and rivalries, contributed to the birth of made in Italy fashion, which Paris, for the first time, perceived as a potential competitor.