The force behind Diesel and who has powered the company's growth is Renzo Rosso. Born in 1955 in Padua, in northeastern Italy, he attended an industrial textile manufacturing school and, after graduating in 1975, began producing his own clothing. In 1978 he joined forces with several other manufacturers in his region to form the Genius Group, which created a number of successful brands, many of which are still widely known today- Katherine Hamnett, Replay, Goldie ¿ and of course, Diesel. In 1985 Renzo took complete control of Diesel by buying out the other partners and becoming the sole force behind the brand. Thereafter, the company began a period of remarkable growth and expansion.