Things changed when he met his business partner and lover, Sergio Galeotti, who he dated for more than a decade. "We met near the Capannina night club, in Versilia, where I was on holiday for a couple of days," Armani explained. "I saw Sergio in his car and I immediately fell for his Tuscan smile."

With an estimated worth of over $13 billion, Giorgio Armani has been a fashion powerhouse since launching his namesake label in 1975. The Italian designer, who turned 90 in July, is also immensely reserved and has rarely spoken on his private life.

Giorgio Armani is not a very good braggart. He has just ignited the fashion world with a collection, and he can’t quite believe it. Outside his sparsely furnished, frescoed 18-century palazzo headquarters,