Giorgio Armani - designer, entrepreneur, and ambassador of Italian style - was born in Piacenza on July 11, 1934, and has now turned 90. A "self-made man" who began in the province and rose to become a symbol of Italian creativity, a person who dedicated his life to work and passion. Armani, the perfectionist and workaholic, has earned the title of "King George", the king of Fashion. In 1948, he and his family relocated from Piacenza to Milan's Porta Ticinese neighborhood. The first job at the Rinascente came in 1957, followed by an eight-year collaboration with Nino Cerruti at the "Hitman" in 1964. The decisive meeting with Sergio Galeotti, his friend who will persuade him to start his own business, takes place in 1966. In 1975, Armani launched his first brand and company. Then there is well-known history. Richard Gere's portrayal of him in the film "American Gigolo" elevates him to the status of global men's style icon. The climb since then has been dizzying: successful acquisitions and partnerships (most notably with Leonardo Del Vecchio's Luxottica), expansions, stores in every corner of the world, skyrocketing turnover, covers, and awards. An international entrepreneur with big ambitions who learned on his own. Already famous, he started to make the showcase by himself, obsessive in every detail. During the pandemic, he was one of the first entrepreneurs to realize what was going on, deciding to close his fashion show to the public in February 2020 and stream it. He converted his companies to the production of medical coats and masks, and in the newspapers, he urged people to slow down and stop being greedy by reviewing the fashion mechanisms. Armani is 90 years old, and for some time now, the stock market and the economy have been concerned about his group's future. "At the moment", he explained in an interview with Bloomberg, "I don't see an acquisition by a large luxury conglomerate (the French giants "LVMH" and "Kering" appear very interested, ed.). But I don't want to rule anything out ahead of time because that would be a non-entrepreneurial approach".
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