FROM REMO RUFFINI’S magnificent terrace on Lake Como, lined this summer day with pots of white gardenias, you can almost see the house across the water where he grew up. It’s only a few miles from here, but in its way, Ruffini’s journey traces the history of fashion. His grandfather owned a fabric mill, which is what this region of northern Italy is known for. His father shifted the family business into garments and later had success in the U.S. with disco shirts.
As a young man, Ruffini followed the prevailing winds to America....