“The Italians have a way of making everything easy,” WWD wrote in 1980, marking the rise of Italian luxury ready-to-wear and Milan’s emergence as its design center, taking over from Rome. Established names familiar to fashion — Giorgio Armani, Missoni and Valentino — were joined by a burgeoning roster of talents whose legacies helped define Italy’s modern design heritage.

Pioneers at the top of the conversation were Mariuccia Mandelli of Krizia, Gianfranco Ferré, Gianni Versace and the Genny Group (home of Byblos and Complice, where Versace, Claude Montana and Romeo Gigli once designed). Alongside them, brands like Fendi (helmed by Karl Lagerfeld), Mario Valentino, Basile and Luciano Soprani elevated Italian fashion to global prominence. As Milan solidified its position in luxury ready-

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