Italian Designers

 
Georgio Armani
 

 
He's Italy's most famous fashion designer. The impeccable tailoring and luxurious fabrics make Armani's clothing the most sought after in the world.  Armani excels at glamorous power dressing, but with understated elegance. At Selandari's we think everybody should have an Armani piece in their wardrobe.
 
Armani began a freelance design business in 1970 and established his own men's wear label in 1974, adding a women's wear line in 1975, which used the men's wear fabrics for sophisticated, unstructured jackets and suits. He was the first designer to catch on the growing influence of celebrities, and dressed them. The shirts and suits that Richard Gere wore in the title role of American Gigolo in 1980, gave him his international breakthrough. On Oscar night, as the stars responded with "Armani" when asked who they were wearing, Armani swept the Oscars without taking home a single trophy.
 
Georgio is a known workaholic and now 76, is not only still designing, travelling, opening new stores but is also involved in designing a line of luxury hotels. He maintains ownership of his company which has its headquarters in Milan.
 

• Clients: Cate Blanchett, Katie Holmes, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jay-Z, Beyonce'
• Other Labels: Emporio Armani, Armani Prive
• Other Product Lines: Beauty, Eyewear, Fragrances, Home, Handbags, Jeans, Lingerie, Shoes, Underwear

 
Roberto Cavalli
 

 
Since his first show in 1970, Florence born Roberto Cavalli has been synonymous with glam, rock, and animal prints. His flamboyant Italian style caught on quickly, and by 1972 he opened his first boutique. The decadent life of the designer, summers on yachts, gold on everything, translates into the label, which people go to for a taste of the over the top Italian lifestyle. So look to Cavalli for color, and lots of it. A genius when it comes to leather, his designs are wild, sexy, erotic, and fluid.
 

• Clients: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jennifer Lopez, David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, Kimora Lee Simmons
• Sibling Labels: Just Cavalli
• Other Product Lines: Beauty, Eyewear, Fragrances, Home, Handbags, Jeans, Lingerie, Shoes, Underwear
• Headquarters: Florence, Italy

 
Just Cavalli
 
The youth-oriented offshoot of Roberto Cavalli was launched in 1998. Like the original, Just Cavalli encompasses menswear, accessories, and fragrance with a bold aesthetic. Think color, animal print, and denim.
 
Dolce & Gabbana
 

 
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana founded Dolce & Gabbana in 1982, showing their first women's collection in Milan three years later to widespread praise. Known for provocative fashion with signature leopard prints, see-through fabrics and corset dresses. At Selandari's we think Dolce & Gabbana is molto sexy.
 
Madonna famously wore one of the pair's shirts in 1991 to the Cannes Film Festival, (then later they designed her wardrobe on tour). They presented their first men's collection that same year and have since expanded into fragrances, underwear, handbags, shoes, swimwear, eyewear, and jeans. By 1997, their company reported a turnover of £400 million, prompting both designers to announce that they planned to retire by the age of 40, a promise they happily did not keep.
 

• Clients: Victoria Beckham, David Beckham, Madonna, Sophia Loren, Kate Hudson
• Sibling Labels: D&G
• Other Product Lines: Fragrances, Jeans, Shoes, Underwear
• Headquarters: Milan, Italy

 
D&G is a slightly more casual line that follows an urban inspiration and attempts to set trends rather than follow them. It is the younger, more flamboyant line of the brand. However, one thing this line is known for are their advertisements - aggressively sexy and provocative. However, it is the overt sexuality of the brand that attracts its customers. The designer duo counts young Hollywood starlets among its fans, and D&G accounts for more than 40 percent of the label's wholesale sales.
 

• Clients: Corbin Bleu, Duffy, Kate Perry, Natalie Dormer

 
Diesel
 

 
Diesel was founded in 1978 by Renzo Rosso and Adriano Goldschmied under the umbrella of the Genius Group. Rosso took full control in 1985. Since then, the label has grown into a cult denim megabrand, Diesel has managed to maintain such a broad appeal by avoiding getting pigeonholed as hip hop, retro or athletic, despite borrowing heavily from each. The tough, street smart aesthetic is complemented by elaborate ad campaigns, which range from political to kitschy to high glamour. Diesel's slogan is "For successful living" He says "Our constant challenge is to follow nobody except ourselves and our creativity." Where Rosso's imagination and creative spirit will take the company next is anyone's guess, but it is certain that millions of consumers will be along for the ride.
 

• Clients: Kate Moss, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears
• Sibling Labels: Dsquared2
• Other Product Lines: Eyewear, Fragrances, Handbags, Jeans, Lingerie, Shoes
• Headquarters: Molvena,  Italy

 
Ferre'
 

 
Formally trained as an architect, Italian designer Gianfranco Ferre' launched his first signature womenswear collection in 1978, followed shortly with a men's collection in 1982, fragrance in 1984, and a couture line by 1986. Known for its crisp lines, exact cutting, and visible seams, Ferre's label was influenced by his first trips to Asia. Sharply tailored dresses, suits, and structured ballroom skirts in luxurious fabrics and rich colors were recurring players in Ferre's simple but elegant roster. In the nineties, the house branched out with sportier ready to wear, fur, and high-end accessories under FERRE' Milano, and sportswear divisions for jeans, children's, and lower priced accessories consolidated in 2005 under the GF FERRE' line. After Ferre's death in 2007, designers Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi  won acclaim for honoring Ferre's legacy of controlled femininity while modernizing the label with their stiff, geometric dresses in curve-conscious shapes.
 

• Clients: Julia Roberts, Sophia Loren, Oprah Winfrey, Sharon Stone, Elizabeth Taylor
• Sibling Labels: GF FERRE'
• Other Product Lines: Fragrances, Handbags, Lingerie, Shoes
• Headquarters: Milan, Italy

 
Gucci
 

 
The House of Gucci started when founder Guccio Gucci opened a leather goods workshop, intending it to be a saddle shop, (hence the equestrian themes throughout the Gucci lines) in Florence in 1921. But he soon concentrated on luxurious bags and travel goods. Gucci created the infamous red-striped webbing, inspired by the horse rug girthing, and the leather moccasin with a metal bit in the early 40's. By the sixties and seventies, Gucci was one of the world's premier luxury-goods brands, with loyalists like Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Jackie O keeping its cachet elevated. But in the late seventies, family fights and unsound business decisions set things back considerably, and it wasn't until American designer Tom Ford came onboard in 1990 that the luxury brand transformed again into a contemporary power player, solidifying Gucci as a billion pound empire of interlocking Gs. Now designer Frida Giannini is creative director and runs both menswear and womenswear. The silhouettes are now more commercial, and more suited to the urban career woman, and Frida has taken the profits to new heights.
 

• Clients: Charlize Theron, Madonna, Kate Hudson, James Franco, Claire Danes, Oprah Winfrey
• Other Product Lines: Beauty, Eyewear, Fragrances, Home, Handbags, Jeans, Lingerie, Shoes, Underwear
• Headquarters: Florence, Italy

 
MaxMara
 

 
Emerging from the difficult atmosphere of postwar Italy in 1951, Achille Maramotti opened his menswear business under the label of Max Mara. Soon, he was making clothes for women who loved high fashion but couldn't necessarily afford it. His ethos providing high quality, design forward clothing at more reasonable prices has culminated, a half century later, with Max Mara's status as a billion pound empire known for classic clothes and luxurious materials, with a special talent for knitwear. When Maramotti passed away in 2005, the year Forbes listed him as one of the world's richest men, the company was turned over to his three children.
 

• Clients: Sandra Bullock, Jenna Elfman, Megan Mullally, Daisy Fuentes, Jennifer Coolidge, Joely Richardson
• Sibling Labels: Sportmax, Sportmax Code, Weekend Max Mara, Marella, Pennyblack, iBlues, Max & Co. (the trendy, youth division)
• Other Product Lines: Handbags, Shoes
• Headquarters: Reggio Emilia, Italy

 
Moschino
 
Founded by Franco Moschino in 1983, the Moschino label is known for its irreverent, surreal take on fashion. Through the years, the collections have often included tongue in cheek items like a cashmere jacket reading "rich bitch" Rossella Jardini has served as the label's creative director since Moschino's death in 1994, turning out playful, wearable collections. Over the years, the brand has expanded to include the younger Moschino Cheap & Chic line, the Love Moschino denim line, fragrance, lingerie, and accessories.
 

• Clients: Nicole Kidman, Beyonce', Jessica Alba, Debra Messing
• Sibling Labels: Moschino Cheap & Chic
• Other Product Lines: Eyewear, Fragrances, Jeans, Lingerie, Underwear
• Headquarters: Milan, Italy

 
Prada
 

 
The name is recognised worldwide, and a symbol of extravagant luxury. A Prada bag is the ultimate status symbol. After taking over her grandfather Mario Prada's Italian leather goods business in 1978, Miuccia Prada began to change the way people viewed fashion. It started with her nylon bags, unheard of in the realm of luxury goods, which earned her a devoted following, and in 1988, a women's ready to wear line was born. Today, Miuccia's collections, whether they're nerd chic, feminist chic, or minimalist chic, challenge and beguile the global "fasheratti" each season. With encouragement from husband Patrizio Bertelli, who serves as chief executive and chairman of the label's parent company Prada S.p.A., Miuccia launched a menswear line in 1993, turning out tailored suits and adding prints and geometrically cut separates. That same year, she also launched her coveted offshoot line, Miu Miu. In addition to Prada's forward thinking clothes, there are the teetering platform shoes, the utilitarian handbags, a sportswear line, and myriad beauty ventures, all of which play a role in making the multi billion pound empire one of the most recognized labels in the world. There's deep thought behind the ubiquitous brand. Miuccia, who was trained in political science rather than design, is known as one of fashion's most intellectual talents.
 

• Clients: Tilda Swinton, Charlize Theron, Debra Messing, Kate Bosworth, Vanessa Traina, Kirsten Dunst
• Sibling Labels: Miu Miu
• Other Product Lines: Beauty, Eyewear, Fragrances, Home, Handbags, Shoes
• Headquarters: Milan, Italy

 
Valentino
 

 
Valentino is synonymous with opulence, extravagance, and drama. In business since 1960, Valentino Garavani made his mark early with intricately detailed, luxurious gowns and tastefully body conscious silhouettes, even perfecting his own shade of Valentino Red. The year 1968 introduced the groundbreaking White collection as well as the now iconic V label. Thanks in part to the entrepreneurial skill of Giancarlo Giammetti, Valentino's longtime business partner and ex boyfriend, the brand is still manna among European royalty, American socialites, and celebrities craving a touch of class.
 
In 2006 Valentino appeared in a cameo role, as himself, in the hit movie "The Devil wears Prada" Try to see "Valentino: The last Emperor" which is a feature length documentary on the designer, produced and directed by Matt Tyrnauer, Special Correspondent for Vanity Fair magazine, the film follows Valentino and his inner circle throughout various events. Sadly in September 2007 Valentino announced his retirement.
 

• Clients: Julia Roberts, Jackie Onassis, Gwyneth Paltrow, Uma Thurman, Elizabeth Hurley, Eva Herzigova
• Other Product Lines: Beauty, Eyewear, Fragrances, Handbags, Shoes, Underwear
• Headquarters: Milan, Italy

 

Versace
 

 
This Italian label, branded by the signature medusa motif and founded by the late Gianni Versace in 1978, has always epitomized over the top sexiness and glamour. (Wallflowers and shrinking violets need not apply) The design reins were taken over by Gianni's sister, Donatella, after he was murdered in Miami Beach in 1997. Donatella now oversees every collection, ready to wear, menswear, and the lower priced offshoot lines.
 
It was once said that Armani dressed the wife, whilst Versace dressed the mistress, as collections featured thigh high slits at the leg, striking colours, materials, including metallic garments that would become his trademark. Here at Selandari's we talked about Elizabeth Hurley's safety pin dress, designed by Versace, which has been voted the greatest red carpet gown of all time.
 

• Clients: Brad Pitt, Jamie Foxx, Madonna, Kate Hudson, Elizabeth Hurley, Jennifer Lopez
• Sibling Labels: Versus
• Other Product Lines: Beauty, Eyewear, Fragrances, Home, Handbags, Jeans, Shoes, Underwear
• Headquarters: Milan, Italy