| Background | | | | Cerruti, while the fashion house was named Cerruti |
| In 1881, three Cerruti brothers established a textile | | | | 1881. This expansion led him to develop a line dedicated |
| company in Biella (in the Piedmont region between | | | | entirely to womenswear in 1976, and the launch of the |
| Milan and Turin), an area famous for its high quality | | | | Cerruti Sports Line in 1980. Cerruti was among the first |
| wool production. Antonio (Nino) was born there in 1930 | | | | designers to sponsor sports celebrities and became |
| as the eldest grandson of one of the founding | | | | the exclusive designer of the Formula 1 Ferrari team. |
| brothers. | | | | Cerruti clothes are elegant, classically tailored, and |
| Career | | | | made of high quality fabrics. Nino was one of the |
| Nino initially studied philosophy, but joined the family firm | | | | acknowledged leading designers in men's classic wool |
| in 1950 as head of the business. After modernising the | | | | suits, and his womenswear often adapted the men's |
| company, he launched a range of menswear called | | | | styles to give a casual, elegant look. He was also well |
| Hitman in 1957, and a knitwear line a few years later. | | | | known for designing for the movie industry; some of |
| In 1961, a young designer named Giorgio Armani joined | | | | his most famous films being 'Pretty Woman', 'Witches |
| his firm, and in 1967, Cerruti created his fashion house | | | | of Eastwick' and 'Wall Street'. |
| in Paris, launching his first men's collection. The fabric | | | | In 2001, Nino Cerruti retired and sold his 120-year-old |
| production remained in Italy under the name of Lanificio | | | | family business to Finpart. |