Canali was founded in 1934 by Giacomo Canali and Giovanni Canali as a family business.[1]

In the 1950s, the ownership of Canali passed on to the second generation of the family. In the 1970s, Canali was the first Italian tailor to introduce mechanised cutting machines.[1] In 1980, 50% of its sales were international.[2]

In 2007, the company abandoned its family-managed policy.[3]

In 2009, Canali released a bandhgala suit for the Indian market, the only "indigenization" ever in the brand's products.[3] In 2010, New York Yankeespitcher Mariano Rivera was the spokesmodel for a Canali advertisement campaign, the first time the brand used an athlete for advertising purposes.[4][5] In 2014, Canali opened its first store in Spain, in Madrid, and signed a franchise deal with the Spanish company Yusty.[2] In 2015, Canali opened a store in Washington DC.[6][7] In December 2015, Canali opened its own online shop for the first time.[8]

In October 2017, Canali closed the Carate Brianza factory and dismissed its 134 employees.[9] In November 2017, the company denied rumors it was looking for a buyer.[10] In September 2018, Canali entered the Chinese ecommerce market through a partnership with Secoo.[11]