Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani, born in Piacenza on 11 July 1934, studied medicine for three years before military service. In 1957 he joined La Rinascente in Milan as a window dresser and then a menswear buyer, and in the mid-1960s he moved to Nino Cerruti, designing menswear while freelancing for other manufacturers. In 1966 he met Sergio Galeotti, an architectural draughtsman who became his partner in life and business.

In 1973 Galeotti persuaded him to open a design office in Milan, and on 24 July 1975 they founded Giorgio Armani S.p.A., reportedly selling Armani's Volkswagen to help fund it. The first menswear collection was shown that October, with womenswear the same season. Armani's soft, deconstructed jacket, with its padding and stiffening taken out, changed tailoring for both men and women, and a 1978 agreement with the manufacturer GFT allowed luxury ready-to-wear on an industrial scale.

The costumes for American Gigolo (1980) brought his tailoring international attention; he went on to work on more than 100 films and made red-carpet dressing a strategy. Emporio Armani launched in 1981, followed by Armani Junior and Armani Jeans, a licence with L'Oréal for fragrance and cosmetics, and A|X Armani Exchange in 1991.

Galeotti died in 1985 and Armani continued as both designer and chief executive. Leo Dell'Orco, who had joined the men's style office in 1977, became one of his closest collaborators. The couture line Armani Privé followed, and in January 2007 its show was the first haute couture collection broadcast live online. In 2016 Armani set up the Fondazione Armani to safeguard the company's future.

Armani died on 4 September 2025, aged 91. His will instructs his foundation and heirs to sell an initial 15% stake within 18 months to a preferred group, named as LVMH, L'Oréal or EssilorLuxottica, with an initial public offering as the alternative, while the foundation keeps at least 30%. Voting rights are split between Leo Dell'Orco (40%), the foundation (30%), and Silvana Armani and Andrea Camerana (15% each).

Design is led by Silvana Armani for womenswear and Leo Dell'Orco for menswear. In September 2026 Dario Vitale was appointed creative director of Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani accessories, the first person outside the Armani family to hold the role.