‘Recovering at Home’, Giorgio Armani to Miss Fashion Show for First Time in His Career

Designer Giorgio Armani appears at the end of the Giorgio Armani Fall-Winter 2025/2026 menswear collection during Milan Fashion Week, in Milan, Italy, January 20, 2025. (Reuters)
Designer Giorgio Armani appears at the end of the Giorgio Armani Fall-Winter 2025/2026 menswear collection during Milan Fashion Week, in Milan, Italy, January 20, 2025. (Reuters)
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‘Recovering at Home’, Giorgio Armani to Miss Fashion Show for First Time in His Career

Designer Giorgio Armani appears at the end of the Giorgio Armani Fall-Winter 2025/2026 menswear collection during Milan Fashion Week, in Milan, Italy, January 20, 2025. (Reuters)
Designer Giorgio Armani appears at the end of the Giorgio Armani Fall-Winter 2025/2026 menswear collection during Milan Fashion Week, in Milan, Italy, January 20, 2025. (Reuters)

Giorgio Armani will not attend his group's two shows at Milan's Men's Fashion Week as he is currently recovering at home, a company statement said on Friday, the first time in his career he will miss one of his catwalk events.

The designer, who will turn 91 in July, will not be at the Emporio Armani catwalk on Saturday or at the Giorgio Armani show on Monday, the statement said. It did not expand on his current health conditions.

Italian newswires reported on Friday that Armani had been in a Milan hospital for some days.

"Mr. Armani has worked with his usual dedication on the collections that will be presented," the company statement said, adding that although he could not be there in person, he will follow every step of the shows.

Known as "Re Giorgio" - King Giorgio - the designer is known for overseeing every detail of his collection and every aspect of his business, from advertising to fixing models' hair as they head out onto the catwalk.

At the end of all his shows, he comes out from backstage and onto the catwalk to greet his audience.

In his absence, Leo Dell'Orco, head of menswear design, will be doing so on his behalf, the group added.



Burberry Shows Early Signs of Recovery as 1st Quarter Sales Fall Less than Expected

FILE PHOTO: A Burberry store is seen in London, Britain, January 16, 2023.  REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Burberry store is seen in London, Britain, January 16, 2023. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo
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Burberry Shows Early Signs of Recovery as 1st Quarter Sales Fall Less than Expected

FILE PHOTO: A Burberry store is seen in London, Britain, January 16, 2023.  REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Burberry store is seen in London, Britain, January 16, 2023. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo

Burberry's retail sales fell by a less-than-expected 1% in the first quarter, it reported on Friday, in early signs of a recovery for the British luxury brand struggling with underperformance.

Shares in Burberry, which have more than doubled since September, rose 5% in early London trade.

Known for its trench coats and check pattern scarves, Burberry is using its British heritage designs to try to win back customers under the leadership of CEO Josh Schulman, who took over a year ago.

Comparable sales returned to growth in Europe, the company said, while trading in the Americas strengthened. Sales fell in China and in the rest of Asia, but the rate of decline was around half the level seen in the previous quarter.

"The improvement in our first-quarter comparable sales, strength in our core categories, and uptick in brand desirability give us conviction in the path ahead," Schulman said, adding that the autumn collection was being "well received".

Burberry has issued several profit warnings in recent years, and as part of its turnaround drive since Schulman took over, it plans to cut a fifth of its global workforce, a radical cost-cutting measure that investors have welcomed.

The 1% drop in overall comparable retail sales in the first quarter, which ended on June 28, beat analysts' forecasts for a 3% decline in a consensus provided by the company, and improved on a 6% fall in the previous quarter.

According to Reuters, analysts at Citi said the brand had reported its third consecutive quarter of like-for-like improvement since Schulman launched its new strategy last November, implying comparable sales could turn positive in the current quarter.

"In a quarter marked by further macro and geopolitical pressures and weaker tourist spending in Europe and Japan, Burberry has likely held up better than peers quarter-on-quarter," they said.