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Angelo Litrico (15 August 1927 – 13 March 1986) was an Italian fashion designer. He dressed many world leaders on both sides of the Cold War and is credited with introducing fashion shows for men's clothing. The company he founded continues to this day under the control of his nephew Luca Litrico.
But Litrico really made his mark when he was invited to participate in a 1957 export drive to Russia by the Italian fashion industry. Litrico used photos to make a coat as a gift for Nikita Khrushchev. Khrushchev was so pleased with it that he commissioned a full wardrobe from Litrico for his famous trip to the US in September 1959. This included the shoes that would become famous by being slammed on the table at the United Nations General Assembly in October 1960.
American journalists were so intrigued to see a well-dressed Soviet premier that they asked for the name of his tailor. When Litrico went to the USA shortly afterwards, he found himself besieged by journalists, and his fame was assured. He dressed many world leaders of the era, such as John F. Kennedy, Juan Perón, Tito, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and King Hussein of Jordan.
Litrico was awarded several Italian orders of merit: Knight (1962), Officer (1965), Commander (1968) and Grand Officer (1972). He had a particularly close relationship with Christiaan Barnard which extended beyond dressing the heart surgery pioneer; Litrico helped to pay for hundreds of children to go to Cape Town for operations under Barnard.
He died of heart failure on 13 March 1986 at the Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic in Rome after breaking his hip. He was aged 58.
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