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Today we are about to find out just who makes fashion in Italy and how they ended up in the world of fashion. We will touch upon a few general points first; that is, we will not start with any specific brand, but with a famous fashion store that played an important part in the life of some hot fashion designers of today at the start of their careers. So, our first stop will be Piazza del Duomo, where La Rinascente department store is situated.

Credits 
Image by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@tompodmore86">Tom Podmore</a>
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Welcome to Fashion Houses of Milan

Currently, La Rinascente department store occupies 9 floors, and back in the day it all began with a small shop that, according to some sources, only sold secondhand clothes.

Credits 
Image Rinascente Milano by <a data-track="attributionNameClick" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/o_0/" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1650628474072_6183" title="Go to Guilhem Vellut’s photostream">Guilhem Vellut</a>

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La Rinascente

This Italian brand was founded in Milan by the brothers Martin and Mario Prada at the very beginning of the 20th century. It all began with the brothers selling high-quality suitcases and traveling bags made from exotic super-soft seal leather. Developing at a modest pace, for the first half-century of its existence, Prada held a steady position on the US and Latin American markets. Mario Prada was succeeded by his daughter Louisa, and it was during her time that the brand started producing elegant bags decorated with tortoise shells or rare kinds of wood.

Credits 
Image Mailand _ Prada Mode 2011 by <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161025164140/http:/www.panoramio.com/user/6212428?with_photo_id=78144540">fotogoocom</a>

Prada

Oh, Gucci! This is a family that's known first of all for its scandalous reputation. These people totally confirm the popular stereotype about the Italians being overly emotional. The founder of this fashion house, Guccio Gucci, was a son of a Florence leather crafter. The father expected that his son would follow in his footsteps but Guccio wanted a different life. Italians are hot-tempered people, and after a raging quarrel Guccio packed up his things and left for London.

Gucci

We are standing right next to Trussardi fashion house. Its history began as early as the first decade of the 20th century, when the small town of Bergamo saw a certain Dante Trussardi open a workshop that produced and repaired gloves. These gloves were of such superb quality that soon they became famous all over Europe.

Credits 
Image PALAZZO TRUSSARDI by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Jeremy112233" title="User:Jeremy112233"><bdi>Jeremy112233</bdi></a>

Trussardi

Fiorucci stores appeared not only in Europe but also in the USA. In the 1980s, Fiorucci set the trend for aerobics sportswear, and his client list included Madonna and Cher. Although sales were booming, the company management was poorly organized, and in the late 1980s they even had to shut down all their stores on US territory. However, by the end of the 1990s, the brand recovered its success. In addition, the company started to explore the Chinese market.

Credits 
Image&nbsp;Italian Angels by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/garryknight/" title="Go to Garry Knight’s photostream">Garry Knight</a>

👣  Fiorucci

Alberta Ferretti's philosophy is actually rather simple. Each woman is a personality, and her clothes must highlight her personality. In addition, she has a firm conviction regarding to wedding dresses.

Credits 
Image Cat Deeley in Alberta Ferretti at The Heart Truth’s Red Dress Collection Fashion Show, 2011 by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/21943577@N03">The Heart Truth</a>

Alberta Ferretti

Ever since he was a kid, Valentino Garavani – the founder of the brand – loved drawing. And when he was still very young, he realized that he wanted to become a clothes designer.

Credits 
Image Evening Dress Autumn-Winter Valentino SpA The MET by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rverc/" title="Go to Regan Vercruysse’s photostream">Regan Vercruysse</a>

Valentino

The name was taken from Plato's Unfinished Dialogues where Krizia is a person who spends what money he has on beautiful dresses and pretty things for the beautiful woman that he loves.

Credits 
Image&nbsp;Krizia (1981-1982) by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanbohemian/" title="Go to urbanbohemian’s photostream">urbanbohemian</a>

Krizia

Franco Moschino is a particularly eccentric character. He is known for his ironic attitude to fashion and his eclectic creations. From the very start, he would make fun of the arrogant stylishness of &nbsp;fashionable clothes, adding to them this or that provocative detail or accessory. One of his collections, for example, featured an evening dress that was crowned by a collar of teddy bears! Or take his signature "Waist of Money" inscription written on the waist! Or the Moschino black denim miniskirt, the edge of which was decorated with plastic fried eggs.

Credits 
Image Moschino Cheap and Chic, suit with Roy Lichtenstein print by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/museumatfit/" title="Go to Museum at FIT’s photostream">Museum at FIT</a>

Moschino

Together with his friend Sergio Galeotti, Armani founded his own company. The brand started to rapidly gain popularity. This trademark covers women's and men's clothing, shoes, watches, accessories, jewelry, and fragrances. At different times Armani clothes were sported by Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, to name but a few. They say that most of the garments that the Hollywood stars wear at Oscar ceremonies are also from Armani. And such movie directors as Paul Schrader and Brian De Palma went as far as to endorse the brand.

Credits 
Image The Armani Girls Come to Party by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/8113246@N02/" title="Go to PINKE’s photostream">PINKE</a> 

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Armani

Missoni became a true family business, with the three children of the founders of the brand also working for the company. Ottavio Missoni did not stop at designing clothes – he is also into carpets and tapestry.

Credits 
Image A coat by Italian fashion label Missoni, 2010 by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:FlickreviewR" title="User:FlickreviewR">FlickreviewR</a>

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Missoni

He was born in a small provincial town in Italy. His mother, Francesca Versace, was a professional seamstress, and she even owned a fashion store. Gianni grew up surrounded by sewing patterns, designs, and beautiful dresses.

Credits 
Image Naomi Campbell Versace Show 25 September 2021 by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Mirek237" title="User:Mirek237">Mirek237</a>

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Gianni Versace

Roberto Cavalli’s client list includes such high-profile customers as Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Salma Hayek, David Beckham, to name but a few.

Credits 
Image Lulu Tenney at Roberto Cavalli FW22 by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Trillfendi" title="User:Trillfendi"><bdi>Trillfendi</bdi></a>

Roberto Cavalli

The first Dolce&amp;Gabbana show took place at a small nearby café – because renting that cafe was free of charge for them. The models were also their close friends. They used this solution several times. Gradually, they gained popularity, and started to get invited to take part in high-profile fashion shows. Over the first ten years, they turned what was once a small studio into one of the hottest fashion brands of today. In the early 1990s, they started exploring the eastern market and opened their boutiques in Singapore, Beijing, and Seoul.

Credits 
Image Lucas Bernabe para Dolce&amp;Gabbana by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:1ozano&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1" title="User:1ozano (page does not exist)">1ozano</a>

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Dolce & Gabbana

In the mid-1990s, the headquarters of the Gucci fashion house was situated here at Via Palestro 20. The Gucci family was known for the scandals that kept shaking it – they constantly quarreled and even sued one another. And one of them was shot dead right here, on the threshold of his office. I am speaking about Maurizio Gucci – the guy who practically busted the company. The killer was hired by his ex-wife – Patrizia Reggiani.

Credits 
Image Gucci at the Natick Mall by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/masstravel/" target="_blank">ssachusetts Office of Travel &amp; Tourism</a>

👣  Maurizio Gucci's deathplace

Today we are about to find out just who makes fashion in Italy and how they ended up in the world of fashion. We will touch upon a few general points first; that is, we will not start with any specific brand, but with a famous fashion store that played an important part in the life of some hot fashion designers of today at the start of their careers. So, our first stop will be Piazza del Duomo, where La Rinascente department store is situated.

Credits 
Audio tour developed by Audioguides.ru and powered by IZI.Travel 
Image by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@tompodmore86">Tom Podmore</a>

Milan

Fashion Houses of Milan

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