Count Ferdinando Sarmi (born c. 1916) was the head of the Sarmi fashion design house in New York City.
Ferdinando Sarmi was born into a wealthy Italian family. He expressed interest in fashion as a youth but was discouraged from pursuing a design career by his father. Sarmi stated in a 1965 interview with Time, "in Italy, when the oldest son tells his father he wants to be a dress designer, it's like a woman saying she intends to be a prostitute". Sarmi's father sent him to study at the University of Siena, where he received a doctor of law degree. Despite his professional training, Sarmi still desired a career in fashion. He became a costume designer and created costumes for two Italian films: Musica Proibita (released as Forbidden Music in the US) in 1942 and Cronaca di un Amore (released as Story of a Love Affair in the US) in 1950. Sarmi was given a leading role in Cronaca di un Amore, but it was his first and only on-screen performance. He left Italy in 1951 to work in New York fashion.
From 1951 to 1959, Sarmi was head designer for Elizabeth Arden. It was during this time that he developed a reputation as a top designer, wooing an influential clientele that included
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