Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani built his name on menswear and an idea of timeless, clean-lined elegance. The Italian designer rose from dressing department-store windows to buying menswear, then designed for Nino Cerutti and others before launching his own label and presenting his first men's collection in 1975, with a women's line the same year. A turn in the film American Gigolo widened his audience and began a long relationship with Hollywood. Through an agreement with L'Oreal, the house extended into fragrance and beauty, releasing Armani for Women in 1982 and Armani for Men in 1984, the start of a series that has carried into the present day.

The Armani signature favors refined woods and aromatics threaded with florals and a cool green edge. Bergamot and galbanum sharpen the opening, marigold adds a soft floral warmth, and aldehydes lend a polished lift. Acqua di Gio Profondo offers the fresh, aquatic side of the house, while the Prive line goes deeper and more ornate with Rose d'Arabie, Oud Royal, and Jasmin Kusamono. As with the clothing, the cut is clean and the finish never overstated.