Giorgio Armani Biography

Giorgio Armani was born as the middle child of Maria Raimondi and Ugo Armani in the Italian town of Piacenza. His father was a shipping manager and he grew up in a humble background.

He developed an interest in human anatomy from an early age and this motivated him to pursue a medical profession. After high school, he enrolled in the Department of Medicine at the University of Milan, but left after three years to join the army in 1953.

Giorgio Armani found a job as a window dresser in a departmental store in Milan after being discharged from the army. He then worked as a salesman in the menswear department where he remained for seven years and learned about fashion designing and marketing.

He joined the Nino Cerutti company in the mid-1960’s as a designer for menswear. At the same time, he also began freelancing and sent his designs to various other garments manufacturers.

During the late 1960’s he met Sergio Galeotti, an architectural draftsman, with whom he established a long term personal and perfessional relationship. It was Galeotti who inspired him to open his own office in 1973.

All through the early 1970’s, Armani freelanced for a number of better known fashion houses like Allegri, Hilton, Gibo, etc. which ensured his designs reached a wider customer base.

His success as a freelancer motivated him to create his own label. Along with his friend Galeotti, he formed the Giorgio Armani S.p.A in Milan in 1975. He presented a range of ready-to-wear collection for both men and women for Spring and Summer 1976 under his own name.

In 1979, he founded the Giorgio Armani Corporation, the American branch of the Italian company, Giorgio Armani S.p.A, and introduced a new line of clothing, ‘Mani’, for men and women. He introduced several product lines under his Giorgio Armani brand: Le Collezioni, Underwear and Swimwear, and accessories.

In the 1980’s, the company introduced Armani Junior, Armani Jeans, and Emporio Armani lines. The Emporio lines consisted of more youthful and stylish products at a more affordable price, targeted at the social middle-class population.

Armani also developed a close relationship with Hollywood over time by designing costumes for over 100 films. Many tinseltown beauties like Penelope Cruz, Anne Hathaway, Megan Fox, etc. wear his designs.

His first biggest achievement was the founding of his company Giorgio Armani S.p.A in Milan in 1975. As on today, the company sells not just apparels, but also perfumes, watches and accessories. The company also operates a range of hotels, restaurants, and cafes worldwide.

Following the immense success enjoyed by his Italian company, he opened the U.S branch, Giorgio Armani Corporation in New York in 1979. The company makes and sells apparels for men, women and children, and also licenses its name to manufacturers of perfume and accessories.

He also found great success as a fashion designer for movie stars. Till date he has designed costumes for over a 100 films, the most notable of them being Richard Gere’s ‘American Gigolo’ (1980) which established him in Hollywood.

The Neiman Marcus Award was bestowed upon him for “Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion” in 1979.

He received the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in 1987.

Giorgio Armani was a lifelong bachelor who was so busy with his career that he did not have time for women. He was very close to his siblings and their children. His sister, nieces and nephews worked in his company.

Giorgio Armani had a pet dog named Angel, who often accompanied him to his design studio.

He was known for his superstitions, such as always wearing a specific pair of shoes when working on a new collection.

Armani was a passionate collector of contemporary art and has an impressive private art collection.

He enjoys cooking and was known for hosting elaborate dinner parties for his friends and colleagues.

Armani was a supporter of various charitable causes, including initiatives focused on environmental conservation and education.