Born in
Monza, the son of a mannequin, Riva opened his first atelier in his hometown at just 18 years old. He had his breakout in 1972, presenting his first couture collection at
Palazzo Pitti in
Florence. He served as artistic director for a number of fashion houses, notably
Balenciaga. He launched his solo brand in 1991, and sold it in 2012, when he started collaborating as creative director with Duomosei. In 2017, he launched the collection "L'Or by Lorenzo Riva". During his career Riva dressed many celebrities, including
Whitney Houston,
Penélope Cruz,
Ivana Trump,
Virna Lisi,
Isabella Rossellini, and
Emmanuelle Seigner. ==References==