Characteristically clad in jeans, a white shirt opened at the neck, and a navy cotton pullover, Giorgio Armani (born ca. 1934) designs new fashions in his 16th-century palazzo in Milan. He was a recipient of the coveted Neiman Marcus Award and has built an international reputation--as well as a fortune--on his revolutionary, unstructured jacket for men.

In April of 1982 Time magazine featured Giorgio Armani on its cover. Armani's first radically different blazer appeared in the fashion world under his own label between 1974 and 1975. His sartorial style exhibited a decidedly relaxed, even rumpled look. The designer softened these new jackets by pulling out the padding and lining and leaving out stiffeners of any kind. He combined thinner lapels with baggier pockets and longer jackets. "Armani's unstructured look makes even his English wool suits feel as comfortable as silk pajamas," observed a writer for People magazine. And in Esquire, Rita Hamilton...