Ferdinando Sarmi

Count Ferdinando Sarmi (February 14, 1912 – 1982) was an Italian-born American fashion designer and businessman. He headed the Sarmi fashion design house in New York City.

Early years Sarmi was born into a wealthy Italian family and raised in Trieste. He expressed interest in fashion as a youth but was discouraged from pursuing a design career by his father. Sarmi stated in a 1965 interview with Time magazine, "in Italy, when the oldest son tells his father he wants to be a dress designer, it's like a woman saying she intends to be a prostitute". His father sent him to study at the University of Siena, where he received a doctor of law degree. and he died in Verona in 1982.