Italian fashion designer Georgio Armani was BOTD in 1934. Born in Piacenza to a wealthy merchantile family, he began training as a doctor, leaving medical school in 1957 to pursue a career in fashion. After seven years as a buyer for La Rinascente department store in Milan. he trained with designer Nino Cerruti, and worked as a freelance designer for Allegri, Bagutta and Hilton. In 1975, he opened his own fashion house with the help of his lover business partner and Sergio Galeotti. His ready-to-wear collections for men and women emphasised ease and modernity, removing shoulderpads and frills to create softer silhouettes and clean lines. Describing his design goal as “to soften the image of men and harden the image of women”, he used linen and silk for menswear and created power-suits for women. Recognising the importance of pop culture to promote fashion, he became famous for his costume designs for the film American Gigolo, turning its star Richard Gere into an international sex symbol. His costumes for 1980s TV detective series Miami Vice were similarly influential, creating a worldwide trend for men’s jackets worn over pastel t-shirts and designer stubble. He became the designer of choice for both Wall Street executives and Hollywood, worn by celebrities including Diane Keaton, Julia Roberts, Jodie Foster, Cate Blanchett, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. The Armani brand expanded into perfume, music, sport and luxury hotels, alongside lower-priced diffusion clothing lines Emporio Armani and Armani Exchange, making him one of the world’s most commercially successful designers, with an estimated net worth of US$13 billion. In 2002, he was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He also designed unforms for the Italian 2006 Olympics team and England’s Chelsea Football Club. Discreetly gay, he remained with Galeotti until the latter’s death from an AIDS-related illness in 1985. He was latterly in a relationship with Pantaleo (Leo) Dell’Orco, the head of men’s styling for the Armani brand. He died in 2025, aged 91.