Giorgio Armani
(1934 - )
Giorgio Armani was born in Piacenza, Italy, on July 11, 1934. Following his military service, Armani joined the Italian department store “La Rinascente,” in Milan, as a window dresser and buyer of men’s clothing. In 1965, he started to work as a menswear designer for the fashion
house of Nino Cerruti, who had noticed his talent and hired him to redesign his Hitman line. In 1970, Armani left Cerruti to work as a freelance designer.
In 1974 he establishes his own label and launched his first menswear collection which was followed by a womenswear collection the following year (1975), in partnership with his best friend and partner Sergio Galeotti and his sister, Rosanna Armani as head of communication activities of the company. Giorgio Armani became one of Italy’s most highly acclaimed ready-to-wear designers for both men and women.
Giorgio Armani has been awarded three times with the Occhio d’Oro in Italy for the Season’s Best Collection, and has received many honors throughout the world. In 2004, Armani was given the Superstar Award at the Night of Stars Awards of Fashion Group International. In 2005, Armani made his debut in haute couture, presenting in Paris the first Giorgio Armani Prive Collection. The same year, he was appointed Designer of the Year by the Fashion Editors Club of Japan.
In 2005 the Armani group counted with 4,700 workers, 13 production plants, 58 Giorgio Armani boutiques, 11 Armani Collezioni stores, 121 Emporio Armani stores, 70 A/X Armani Exchange stores, 12 AJ/Armani Jeans stores, 6 Armani Junior stores, 1 Giorgio Armani Accessories store, and 17 Armani Casa stores, distributed in 37 countries throughout the world. The group’s brands are: Giorgio Armani, Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani, AJ/Armani Jeans, A/X Armani Exchange, Armani Junior and Armani Casa.
