He was born in Abbiategrasso, Lombardy, located c. 22 km from Milan. Before becoming a fashion designer, he attended Accademia delle Belle Arti in Milan to study fine arts in 1967 hoping to become a painter. To finance his studies, he worked as a freelance fashion illustrator. Eventually, his interest shifted from paints and canvases to fabric and tailoring. His fashion career began in 1971 when he became an illustrator for Gianni Versace, and continued to work for him for another six years. From 1977 to 1982 he designed for the Italian label Cadette. His father died when he was four