Biography of Antonio (Nino) Cerruti

Place of Birth

Biella, in the northern Italian region of Piemonte - about 60 miles west-northwest of Milan.

Date of Birth

September 25, 1930.

Background

In 1881, three Cerruti brothers established a textile company in Biella (in the Piedmont region between Milan and Turin), an area famous for its high quality wool production. Antonio (Nino) was born there in 1930 as the eldest grandson of one of the founding brothers.

Career Details

Nino initially studied philosophy, but joined the family firm in 1950 as head of the business. After modernising the company, he launched a range of menswear called Hitman in 1957, and a knitwear line a few years later.

In 1961, a young designer named Giorgio Armani joined his firm, and in 1967, Cerruti created his fashion house in Paris, launching his first men's collection. The fabric production remained in Italy under the name of Lanificio Cerruti, while the fashion house was named Cerruti 1881. This expansion led him to develop a line dedicated entirely to womenswear in 1976, and the launch of the Cerruti Sports Line in 1980. Cerruti was among the first designers to sponsor sports celebrities and became the exclusive designer of the Formula 1 Ferrari team.

Cerruti clothes are elegant, classically tailored, and made of high quality fabrics. Nino was one of the acknowledged leading designers in men's classic wool suits, and his womenswear often adapted the men's styles to give a casual, elegant look. He was also well known for designing for the movie industry; some of his most famous films being 'Pretty Woman', 'Witches of Eastwick' and 'Wall Street'.

In 2001, Nino Cerruti retired and sold his 120-year-old family business to Finpart.