Mossimo Giannulli (born Massimo Giannulli; June 4, 1963) is an American fashion designer who founded Mossimo, a mid-range clothing company, in 1986; Giannulli sold this company to Iconix Brand Group in 2006, exactly twenty years after it was founded.
Early life
Giannulli was born in Los Angeles to parents of Italian descent; Gene, an architect, and Nancy, a homemaker. He was raised in Encino, California.[2] In the first grade, he changed his first name to Mossimo at the suggestion of a teacher who insisted it was easier to pronounce.[2]
Giannulli had purportedly studied business and architecture at the University of Southern California for three years before dropping out in 1987[2], however in the wake of the Varsity Blues scandal it was revealed that he only spent time at the university in 1984 as a non-degree-seeking student.[3]