Men's fashion trendsetter gone

Nino Cerruti, an Italian fashion designer who gave Giorgio Armani his first break, has died aged 91 after hip surgery in northwest Italy, where his family has operated a textile company since 1881.

He launched menswear firm Hitman in 1957 near Milan, dedicated to creating sartorial elegance on an industrial scale.

Armani, hired in the 1960s, said: "From him I learned not only the taste for sartorial softness but also the importance of a well-rounded vision as a designer and as an entrepreneur."

He founded men's fashion house Cerruti in 1967 in Paris while maintaining production in Italy.

Cerruti sold the firm in the early 2000s but maintained ties with the fashion house as he focused on the textile business.