Prada SpA CEO Patrizio Bertelli is also husband to the powerhouse label’s creative force, Miuccia Prada.

Born in the province of Tuscany, Bertelli studied engineering at the University of Bologna. He owned a leather factory when he met his future wife at a trade show. Miuccia Prada, legend has it, took him to task for making knockoffs of her designer handbags. He argued. They hit it off and eventually married in 1987. Later, they merged their two businesses.

Bertelli led the luxury goods company that was founded by Prada’s grandfather on a careful expansion; he started with a women’s collection in 1988. Soon, Miuccia Prada’s use of muted colors and luxurious fabrics caught fire and became a status symbol.

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A buying spree commenced from 1999 to 2001 during which Prada would gain controlling interest in Helmut Lang, Jil Sander and, in a joint venture with LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the Italian label Fendi. Underperforming brands Helmut Lang and Jil Sander, however, were later sold off.

In 2007, Prada had its “best ever” year, in the words of its CEO, whose temperamental nature is well documented. Estimates of the company’s value in the spring of 2008 hovered around 4 billion to 5 billion euros.