“Dums are never elegant while smart people always are…” These provocative words have been used by someone who knows a lot about fashion: Giorgio Armani, an outstanding fashion icon not only within the Italian borders but all over the world.

July 11th marks Armani’s 83rd birthday. Life was not always easy for the talented Italian fashion designer. Born in Piacenza in 1934, he experienced the harsh period related to the two world wars, almost dying after being seriously burnt with gunpowder.