Fashion designer Giorgio Armani was born on July 11, 1934, in Piacenza, Italy. He studied medicine at the University of Milan but dropped out due to military service. He worked as a buyer at the Milan department store Rinascente from 1957, and in 1964 became the designer of Cerruti's menswear line, "Hitman." In 1975, he founded Giorgio Armani with his partner, Sergio Galletti, and launched his collections. A known avid film fan, he designed costumes for Richard Gere in "American Gigolo" and Kevin Costner in "The Untouchables." He also designed the wedding dress for Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, who married in 2006. Directors Martin Scorsese and David Lynch, with whom he has personal connections, have also produced Armani television commercials.

Currently, the company presents its main line, GIORGIO ARMANI, and its second line, EMPORIO ARMANI, in Milan.
Other lines include the business line, ARMANI COLLEZIONI, the haute couture line, GIORGIO ARMANI PRIVE, and the casual lines, ARMANI JEANS and A/X ARMANI EXCHANGE. In addition to apparel, Armani is also involved in a variety of businesses, including furniture and cosmetics lines, hotels, and cafe and restaurant management.

In addition to fashion, Armani has a strong interest in architecture and art, and personally designed the Armani Ginza Tower. The Armani Teatro (theater) at the group's Milan headquarters was designed by Tadao Ando.