Fashion Icons Encyclopedia. Giorgio Armani.

Giorgio Armani was founded in Milan in 1975, and his influence on the fashion world is such that there is an Armani era.

Giorgio Armani was born in the Italian industrial city of Piacenza in 1934. World War II broke out when he was five years old, and local industry became a target of Allied bombing. He then relocated to a nearby community with his mother and brothers. His father lost his job - he worked in the offices of Mussolini's Fascist Party – after the war ended, and he was accused of helping with the regime. He received a scholarship to pursue medicine at the university after becoming aware of his options.

He dropped out of school soon after and went to work as a window dresser and salesperson at La Rinascente Milanese, one of the continent's most opulent boutiques. After a season there, he went to work for Nino Cerruti as a designer. He founded his own brand after learning the craft and with the help of his partner, architect Sergio Galeotti. It was then that he became famous for his unstructured suit. The designer added femininity to men's tailoring and lightness to the new work uniforms' harsh shapes.

His name spread like wildfire as the brand grew in popularity. It didn't take long for Hollywood to knock on his door, and the Italian was in charge of the costumes for American Gigolo, a film starring Richard Gere and Lauren Hutton, which was the brand's pinnacle achievement. The new professionals accepted their attire as a uniform, and the cinema mecca's star system mourned for their creations. With more than 350 outlets globally, the Armani brand has expanded from Haute Couture to Armani Jeans, a range that caters to practically any budget. Cosmetics is a brand of household products. Armani has been able to appeal to a wide range of customers by providing unique products.