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On May 22, 1903 in Rome, by notarial deed, a group of women, belonging to the nobility or the bourgeoisie, established the Società Cooperativa Female Industrie Italiane (IFI), in order to "promote and improve female employment and the economic condition of female workers. , with a healthy artistic and industrial orientation ". The statute of the I. F. I. was drawn up by Cesare Vivante. The initiative was aimed at creating "a vigorous instrument of commercial economy that opened international avenues for Italian women's products, (...) a large industrial house capable of eliminating intermediaries who exploited the timid work of women". Each share cost 100 lire. At the deed of incorporation, the capital raised was 20,000 lire. Queen Margherita and the Duchess of Aosta had bought shares.
At the great International Exhibition in Milan (1906), which celebrated the opening of the Simplon Tunnel, the I.F.I. was present with artifacts from all the Committees. The Decorative Arts Pavilion was inaugurated on May 3. It was possible to visit fully furnished rooms: the baby's room, with a cradle adorned with 16th century lace; the double bedroom, in 18th century Venetian style; the Florentine Renaissance dining room, with two-tone banded wallpaper and richly laid tables; the rustic veranda, with braided embroidery on Romagna cloth; the dressing table for the lady, with Irish lace, face powders and perfumed waters; the living room covered in "tapestry stitch"; the little girl's room with bobbin lace. On display were net and "carved stitch" veils, "grass juice" painted tapestries, Byzantine-style jewelry or with minute mosaics or corals, evening dresses, painted or embroidered fans, household and lady linen. , regional costumes, dolls, pottery. There were also objects from the Eritrean colony. The catalog illustrated the products on display: embroidery, lace, woven bows, cut velvets, damasks, slippers, rugs, cushions.
On 3 August a raging fire completely destroyed the Italian and Hungarian Decorative Arts pavilion. The damage was enormous, but ancient women's industries, close to extinguishing, had risen thanks also to the activity of the patronesses of the I.F.I. In Burano, in Pellestrina, in the villages of the Ligurian Riviera, in Cantù, in Pescocostanzo, in Campobasso, in Isernia, the lace craftsmanship employed a total of 20,000 workers.
