Giorgio Armani

Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.

• According to Milan Fashion Week schedulers, Gucci will open the Spring 2013 shows in that city on Sept. 19. Giorgio Armani, who normally closes the week, will instead show midway through on Sept. 23, prompting some to believe that he has different plans for the end of the week. [The Cut]
  

• Amber Valletta stars in Pucci's very first ad campaign, photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot. [Design Scene]
  

• For the first time in five seasons, Oscar de la Renta's ad campaign doesn't involve Karlie Kloss. Instead, the brand's Fall 2012 ads feature Candice Swanepoel and Katryn Kruger. [Fashion Gone Rogue]
  

• Issey Miyake will release a fragrance called Pleats Please. It will hit Austria next month, but it won't hit the United States until 2013. [WWD]
  

• What's Michael Kors's favorite escape? The beach. "If I could, I'd burn every shoe I own." But will he drink beer on the beach? "Sure! I’m American — why not?" [Daily Front Row]
  
  

  Above: The finale of Gucci's Fall 2012 show.

An Italian newswire report suggesting that Giorgio Armani will form a foundation to run his fashion empire after he dies set the press ablaze with speculation that the future of the fashion label has been set in stone.

However, an Armani spokeswoman said today that the report, published by Ansa last week, was incorrect. Instead, the spokeswoman said, Armani, 77, would consider selling his company to a large fashion conglomerate only if he's presented with a good enough offer. And, while he is also considering leaving the brand to a foundation, Armani told WWD last week that it is "only one of the possibilities."

Armani's succession plan has been in focus lately because of a recent WSJ. Magazine profile that explores what will happen to the company after the designer is gone. In the profile, Armani admitted that he hasn't settled on a plan, saying, "As long as I'm here, I'm the boss."

Photo: Giorgio Armani takes a bow after presenting the Giorgio Armani Prive Haute Couture Fall 2011 collection in Paris.

All right here, in our daily news roundup.

Giorgio Armani says his drive to stay healthy actually threatened his life, at one point sending him to the hospital for a 10-day stay.

Armani told WSJ. Magazine that he had to be treated for "a very serious" case of hepatitis in May 2009. The cause was attributed to an unspecified collection of supplements the 78-year-old took before going to the gym every day. "My doctor told me: Get rid of all this sh*t you're drinking," he said.

While Armani wouldn't disclose exactly which substances he was taking, the Journal did suggest one possible motive for taking the supplements. "The house Armani has built is a reflection of himself — the trim, toned, tanned and t-shirted figure that is synonymous with the brand — and he wants to secure a long life for both."

Today, Armani is one of very few designers who owns 100 percent of his own company, where he serves as both creative director and CEO. His position as the man responsible for every aspect of the house's business begs the question as to who will run Armani when he's gone — and the designer says it will probably fall to his two nieces and his nephew. "Look, this succession issue has been at my throat for at least 15 years," he said. "The question is always the same, and so is the answer: as long as I'm here, I'm the boss."

Giorgio Armani will partner with actor Sean Penn to raise money for Haitian charities at the Cannes Film Festival.

Armani is sponsoring Penn's fundraising dinner Haiti: Carnival in Cannes, which Penn will host on Friday with model Petra Nemcova. The dinner's proceeds will be donated to Penn's Haitian Relief Organization, Nemcova's Happy Hearts Fund, and Artists For Peace and Justice.

"I am proud to stand alongside Sean Penn, a man cut from a very rare cloth," Armani said. "It is an honor to be a part of Sean's remarkable life of service by joining his humanitarian efforts for the people of Haiti."

In the past, Armani has supported charities like UNICEF, amfAR, and the Global Fund. In 2002, he was named a Goodwill Ambassador for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees.

Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.

• Rihanna's second collection for Emporio Armani has been revealed — or at least the sketches of it have. The collection will include tartan-trimmed denim shorts and a distressed denim jumpsuit. "She captures the young and contemporary essence of Emporio Armani Underwear and Armani Jeans perfectly," said Giorgio Armani. [Fashion Etc.]
  

• Carine Roitfeld is putting together a staff for her new magazine, CR Fashion Book. So far, she's hired former Teen Vogue accessories director Shiona Turini and stylist Michaela Dosamantes, who was most recently a contributing fashion and market editor for Vogue.it. [The Cut]
  

• Giorgio Armani has revealed the Olympic uniforms he designed for Italy's national team. The 50-piece collection includes everything from tracksuits to suitcases and was designed under his EA7 Emporio Armani sportswear line. [Vogue UK]
  

• Abbey Lee Kershaw and Edita Vilkeviciute join Tom Cruise on the May cover of W magazine. Cruise is dressed (well, tattooed, anyway) as his character from the upcoming movie Rock of Ages, and Kershaw and Vilkeviciute stand in as glamorous groupies. [Fashion Gone Rogue]

Photo Courtesy of W magazine.

Originally launching in 2000 in Milan, the fashion powerhouse's home brand, Armani/Casa, now has over 60 stores worldwide, with the latest addition opening in Miami just this week. Giorgio Armani's vision was to merge his fashion philosophy with the world of interiors to create a lifestyle that celebrates all aspects of design.

The result is high-quality furnishings that resemble the sexy and luxurious aesthetic of the Giorgio Armani brand. The dimly lit, 3,700-square-foot space is filled with a large assortment of home goods including furniture, tableware, decorative accessories, fabrics, ornaments, lighting, and unique concepts for bathrooms and kitchens. Additionally, the store offers exclusive interior design service providing "made to measure" solutions for private clients and property developers.

A delicately patterned plate adds subtle texture but can easily blend with any dining environment.

Keep reading after the jump for more pictures of the new store!