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Giorgio Armani is a household name that the vast majority of people in the First World will know, even if they cannot put a face to the name. The brand is highly impressive and has been cemented over a number of years, but what about the man? Giorgio Armani is undoubtedly one of the most impressive fashion designers and entrepreneurs that ever lived. When you read his story you will undoubtedly be impressed by the way the man rose to the top of his profession the hard way, which is why he is an inspiration to everyone.

The Regular Armani

Giorgio Armani was born in Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna in Italy on July 11, 1934. Little is known of his early life but his family must have been relatively wealthy because he originally studied medicine, which was a profession for the wealthy in the 1940s and 1950s. He attended medical college for two years before he decided that blood and gore was not for him. As such, he began working as a photographer and developed a love for the art before he was required to enlist for national service in 1957.

When the entrepreneur returned, he got a job in a department store, which he enjoyed. He was actually a window dresser. His flair and style for dressing the model began to get him noticed and also made up his mind that his future lay in designing clothes rather than working for someone else. With no formal training, the bussing entrepreneur decided that the only way to go was working from the bottom up, which is exactly what he did!

The Apprentice Turned Designer

Armani had gathered knowledge about marketing and merchandising as well as getting an eye for what looked good and what did not. Armed with this and a burning desire to succeed, he managed to impress Nino Cerruti, a successful designer, who then hired him as an apprentice. Armani was hungry for knowledge and stayed with Cerruti for 6 years before leaving on good terms to start his own designing business. The entrepreneur had decided that it was time to branch out on his own.

After working as a freelance designer for Ungaro and Zegna, Giorgio Armani established his own line of clothing in 1975 and 1976 for women and men respectively. The Armani brand was born and the entrepreneur was on his way to becoming the biggest fashion designer in the world. His work was characterised by clean lines and elegance that oozed style without looking tacky and it still of that appeal today.

1981 was a key year for the entrepreneur purely and simply because that was the year that he took his business venture to the next level. It was the year that Emporio Armani was launched, along with Armani Jeans. Both products were to launch the brand into orbit. From there, the entrepreneur added to his line year after year so now an individual can buy almost any item of clothing with the Armani brand on it, as well as women’s and men’s fragrances and select items of jewellery.

Today, the entrepreneur has amassed a personal fortune of $5 billion and the business had an annual turnover of $1.691 billion. As such, Armani is undoubtedly the greatest Italian designer of all time. His designer fashion and accessories are still as much in demand as they were in the 1980s and 1990s as a direct result of the fact that celebrities wear his couture on the red carpet every week. Giorgio Armani is the archetypal entrepreneur that worked his way up from the bottom and a lot can be learned from him. He is undoubtedly an inspiration to all.