Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani might not be joining the Italian National Chamber of Fashion, but that doesn't mean he's not doing his part to support the nation's young designers.

Armani announced today that he'll allow an up-and-coming designer to use his show space each season, starting with menswear talent Andrea Pompilio, who will stage a show there on June 22.

"We need concrete actions to support Italian fashion, initiatives that give more strength and a feeling of novelty to Milan's Fashion Week," Armani said in a statement. "It is for this reason that I decided to make my theatre on Via Bergognone available for the fashion shows of some of the most promising designers, who can count on my building's technical services."

The announcement comes just two weeks after Armani talked about his decision not to join the National Chamber of Fashion, which is currently working to keep Italian designers showing in Milan. A handful of Italian designers already show their collections in other cities, and with scheduling conflicts prompting the international press to leave Milan early to cover Paris Fashion Week, the Chamber wants to make showing in Milan as attractive as possible.

But not joining the chamber means Armani won't be on the official Milan Fashion Week calendar, and the designer has said he'll schedule his show on a "strategic day" during Fashion Week in September.

Armani used to show during the final days of Milan Fashion Week, but the last time he changed his scheduled show date he took flak from another Italian giant, Roberto Cavalli. In a blog post last September, Cavalli called Armani a "Little King" and accused him of distracting attention from smaller designers by moving his show up on the calendar. An amused Armani responded by saying, "Cavalli should be quiet because the 'Little King' could start to get angry."

Cate Blanchett has served as the muse for Giorgio Armani, frequently wearing his creations on the red carpet, but now her role is expanding into the designer's beauty brand, too. The actress was recently confirmed as the new face of Armani fragrances. "I have known and admired Cate Blanchett for many years," Armani told WWD. "As I was developing the Sì project, defining the fragrance and imagining the bottle, I instinctively thought of her, and of the passion that can be perceived behind her impeccable manners and confident look — a seductive combination that fully respects the spirit of my new perfume." The chypre fragrance mixes notes of cassis nectar, freesia, and vanilla.

The contract will include a print magazine campaign as well as a short film and digital ads. All the fanfare is slated to roll out this August in the UK, and in early 2014 stateside. Cate will serve as the first celebrity to represent Giorgio Armani fragrances, which has relied on models in previous years. "With my very first paycheck as an actress, I bought an Armani suit, and I still have it and love it," said Blanchett. "For me, fragrance contains memory, the scent of your mother, your friends . . . I think fragrance is a really subtle but important way in which women express themselves and express who they aspire to be." And who better than the woman who inspires Armani's fashion designs to also front his fragrance offerings?

The wrong blush shade and texture can take you into lady-of-the-night territory. The right blush, however, can give you a lit-from-within flush, brightening your complexion in about 10 seconds flat. Such is the case with Giorgio Armani's Sheer Blush ($44). As the name implies, this blush imparts the subtlest amount of color to the skin. And because of its soft, lightweight texture, there's nary an obvious streak or too-shimmery finish to be found. In fact, likely nobody will know you're even wearing makeup. It's a high-end purchase, no doubt. But for its ability to give you a fresh-faced, natural-looking glow with minimal effort, it's hard to put a price on that.

The eyes have it in Giorgio Armani's newest video campaign, Frames of Life, which uses the house's eyeglasses and sunglasses to tell stories about a group of characters from different walks of life.

The first of four black-and-white videos in the series features Luc, a writer whose first book — titled Frames of Happiness — has just been published. His frameless glasses are ever present in the video, which follows him from his home to a local bookstore, where he's delighted to find his work on sale. That one-minute clip went live just this morning on Armani's microsite for the campaign, and three more will make their debuts in the coming weeks.

A look at Luc's video, below.

• Maison Martin Margiela is working with G-Shock to produce a limited-edition timepiece celebrating the watchmaker's 30th anniversary. [Style.com]
  

• Meanwhile, Hermès introduced its latest watch design, the Dressage Chrono, with a modern dance performance entitled "Time in Motion." [The New York Times]
  

• Taylor Tomasi Hill is into the revival of '90s grunge: "Dries Van Noten's combination of florals and plaids were a sophisticated take on [the trend]," she added. [The Zoe Report]
  
  More of the fashion news you need to know, right here.

In the space of two weeks, Patrick Robinson has signed on for another new job. The designer has been named creative director of Armani Exchange, the sporty younger arm of the brand he once worked for, Giorgio Armani.

According to WWD, Robinson's responsibilities will "range from product development to providing creative direction in marketing areas." He'll report to Armani Exchange's CEO, Harlan Bratcher.

Robinson was last in the news exactly one week ago today when he revealed plans to start a sportswear line called Paskho, which he's funding through Kickstarter. In his Kickstarter post, Robinson said he lost his passion while he designed for big brands like Anne Klein and Perry Ellis, and wanted to focus on something smaller. "Somewhere between Giorgio Armani and the Gap, I had stopped designing clothes and had instead become the guy who manages the people who design the clothes," he wrote. "I love to design clothing. Simple, beautiful, comfortable clothing that people can afford. It was this desire that led to my new endeavor: Paskho — ancient Greek for passion. Paskho is my passion."