Giorgio Armani

Born just outside of Milan, Giorgio Armani was all but destined to build a fashion empire. Growing up during the World War II era, Armani lived in the midst of hardships of the time: poverty and death. As a young boy he quickly became interested in anatomy and would often make dolls out of mud to entertain himself. His love for the human body lead him to medical school, but soon he decided it was time for a break. While on vacation from his mandatory military service, he had his first taste of fashion as a photographer’s assistant for a department store. Soon after completing his military service, Armani dropped out of medical school to pursue his fashion career at a local department store and eventually became a designer for a local brand. With the encouragement of his friend, Sergio Galeotti, Armani began his design career with freelance work for other companies. In 1975, Armani partnered with Galeotti to create his first fashion collection and his popularity and notoriety has skyrocketed since.