What is the name of Giorgio Armani's business partner and companion?

Giorgio Armani's business partner and companion was Sergio Galeotti.

The two met in 1966 at Forte dei Marmi in Tuscany and developed both a personal and professional relationship. Galeotti was an architect who helped persuade Armani to establish his own business. His confidence in Armani's talent was crucial at a moment when the designer was still working for other companies.

In 1973, Armani and Galeotti opened a design office in Milan. Two years later, they founded Giorgio Armani S.p.A. Galeotti handled major financial and administrative responsibilities, while Armani directed the creative work. Their partnership combined design vision with the business structure needed to turn a small operation into an international fashion house.

Galeotti died in Milan in 1985, aged 40. Accounts of his death initially reported a heart attack, while later biographies identify complications from AIDS. Armani continued to lead the company and remained its defining creative force, but Galeotti's role is central to the label's origin. He is not another fashion designer such as Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford or Gianni Versace; he was Armani's co-founder and long-term companion.