After working as a buyer and a menswear designer, Armani, who was born just outside of Milan, used $10,000 to start his own fashion house, according to the Financial Times.
At the time of his death, Armani remained the CEO and sole shareholder of his company, according to the Financial Times, which published what would be the final interview with the designer on Aug. 29.
In the following years, his designs not only graced runways but also Hollywood celebrities, who wore his clothes on red carpets and in movies including American Gigolo, The Wolf of Wall Street and Goodfellas.
"My initial goal was to dress people but from thereI moved naturally into other areas, because I wanted to offer those entering the Armani world a unique experience," he told the Financial Times. "I have in fact created a lifestyle that I would define as a world of natural sophistication, in which nothing is over the top but everything finds a balance that, while whispered, is rich in personality."