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Giorgio Armani, celebrated Italian fashion designer, dies at 91 | Fashion

Giorgio Armani, the celebrated Italian fashion designer who built a global empire, has died at the age of 91, his company said on Thursday.
“With infinite sorrow, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder and tireless driving force: Giorgio Armani,” the fashion house said in a statement.
His vast portfolio included the Giorgio Armani and Emporio Armani clothing lines alongside the haute couture label Armani Privé and an Armani Casa design and interiors line.
He was absent from his last three shows, held in June and July, owing to illness. He had been expected to attend the brand’s 50th anniversary celebrations later this month including an exhibition at the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan.
The founder and sole shareholder of Giorgio Armani SpA, Armani reportedly refused numerous offers throughout his career to become part of one of the big four luxury fashion conglomerates. He described the independence of his brand as “an essential value”.
His inaugural 1975 presentation pioneered the idea of soft power dressing, earning him the title “King of the Blazer”. His proposition of fluid rather than structured suiting featuring longer-cut suit jackets, loosely pleated trousers and floor-sweeping belted coats formed an entirely new approach to dressing. He applied the same techniques to womenswear, freeing many from the fussy and figure-hugging silhouettes prescribed by other brands. His muted colour palette of greys and beige became synonymous with stealth wealth, long before the idea of quiet luxury entered the lexicon.
In 1980 the brand was catapulted to international fame when Richard Gere wore numerous pieces designed by Armani in the film American Gigolo.
This also pioneered a new way of working with Hollywood. While in the past couturiers had a relationship with one specific star, such as Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn, Armani had multiple.
In 1978, Diane Keaton became the first actor to wear Armani on the Oscars red carpet. Jodie Foster has worn the label to every ceremony but one since 1989, while Julia Roberts’ 1990 look of a steel grey oversized Armani suit teamed with a white shirt and tie has become one of the most memorable Golden Globes looks of all time.
Born in Piacenza in northern Italy in 1934, Armani originally pursued a career in medicine. He left the University of Milan before completing his degree to join the army. Shortly after he began looking for a different type of career.
“I got into fashion almost by accident and then it slowly grew in me until it completely absorbed me, stealing my life away,” he previously said.
After working as a window dresser and later a sales associate at La Rinascente, a notable department store in Milan, he took on a menswear design role at Nino Cerruti.
Armani was 41 when he launched his own label. It was his partner Sergio Galeotti, an architect by training, who convinced him to sell his Volkswagen Beetle to fund his own company. Galeotti ran the books while Armani focused on the creative side. When Galeotti died in 1995, Armani continued alone.
Armani-branded products generated £3.5bn in 2021. They included a collection of hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, cosmetics, chocolates and even floristry.
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After his spring/summer 2022 collection, Armani for the first time took his bow alongside Leo Dell’Orco, the head of the men’s style office, who originally joined the company in 1977.
A statement issued on behalf of his employees and family said: “In this company, we have always felt like part of a family. Today, with deep emotion, we feel the void left by the one who founded and nurtured this family with vision, passion, and dedication. But it is precisely in his spirit that we, the employees and the family members who have always worked alongside Mr Armani, commit to protecting what he built and to carrying his company forward in his memory with respect, responsibility, and love.”
In an interview with the Financial Times published days before his death, Armani explained how he planned to pass on his vast estate.
“My plans for succession consist of a gradual transition of the responsibilities that I have always handled to those closest to me … such as Leo Dell’Orco, the members of my family and the entire working team.” He added that he “would like the succession to be organic and not a moment of rupture”.
As the news broke on Thursday, designers and celebrities began to pay tribute on social media. “The world lost a giant today. He made history and will be remembered forever,” wrote the fashion designer Donatella Versace.
“A great honor to have had the chance to meet and work with such an amazing person,” wrote the Ferrari Formula One driver Charles Leclerc, who previously starred in an Armani campaign. “You will be missed Giorgio.”
“A true friend. A legend,” posted Roberts.
pose for photographers at the British fashion awards in London in 2019. Photograph: Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP
“Incredibly saddened to hear about the passing of Giorgio Armani,” wrote the actor Diane Kruger. “One of the nicest people and mentors I was lucky enough to meet and work with.”
The former British Vogue editor Edward Enninful posted: “Mr Armani taught me the importance of entrepreneurship and community and believing in your own creativity. Since meeting in the 90’s, he always believed in me and gave me a seat at the table from day one; from styling his campaigns to his endless words of wisdom at each stage of my career, he always made me feel seen.”
In a series of posts on X the actor Russell Crowe recounted how losing his bags on the way to the Cannes film festival in 1997 led to him discovering the designer. “I adored him. He was so kind. So many significant moments in my life, awards, wedding, Wimbledon … all in Armani. What a life he had, from his beginnings to his glory.”
When asked in a 2022 interview how he’ would like to be remembered, Armani replied: “As a sincere man. I say what I mean.”
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Lululemon (LULU) Q2 2025 earnings

Sign at the entrance to the Lululemon store in Midtown Manhattan.
Erik Mcgregor | Lightrocket | Getty Images
Lululemon shares plunged in extended trading Thursday after the company gave a much worse than expected full-year outlook.
The company topped second-quarter earnings estimates but slightly missed revenue expectations. But it said it expected tariffs to hit its full-year profits by $240 million.
Lululemon said it expects full fiscal year earnings of $12.77 to $12.97 per share, well below Wall Street estimates of $14.45 per share. It also anticipates full-year revenue of $10.85 billion to $11 billion, compared with Wall Street expectations of $11.18 billion.
“We are facing yet another shift today within the industry related to tariffs and the cost of doing business,” CEO Calvin McDonald said on a call with analysts. “The increased rates and removal of the de minimis provisions have played a large part in our guidance reduction for the year.”
Here’s how the company did for its second quarter compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: $3.10 vs. $2.88 expected
- Revenue: $2.53 billion vs. $2.54 billion expected
Shares of the company sank more than 10% after the bell Thursday. The stock is down more than 45% this year.
Programming note: Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald will be interviewed exclusively on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” on Friday.
The company reported second-quarter net income of $370.9 million, or $3.10 per share, compared to $392.92 million, or $3.15 per share, in the year-ago period. Gross margin decreased 1.1 percentage points to 58.5%, and operating margin decreased 210 basis points to 20.7%.
Same-store sales in the Americas were down 4%. Overall comparable sales increased just 1% compared to Wall Street estimates of 2.2%. Lululemon said it added 14 net new stores during the second quarter, bringing its total to 784 stores.
It projects third-quarter revenues will be between $2.47 billion and $2.50 billion compared to Wall Street estimates of $2.57 billion. The company said it expects earnings per share in the next quarter to be between $2.18 and $2.23 per share, compared to an estimate of $2.93 per share.
McDonald said on the Thursday call that he believes the company has let its product lifecycles “run too long,” particularly in its lounge and social categories.
“We have become too predictable within our casual offerings and missed opportunities to create new trends,” he said.
“Our lounge and social product offerings have become stale and have not been resonating with guests,” McDonald added.
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The new Street Fighter movie Hadokens into theaters in October 2026

The new Street Fighter movie, which has been in the works since 2023, now has a cast and a release date. The film hits theaters on October 16th, 2026, and the cast includes some big names like Jason Momoa, 50 Cent, Orville Peck, and Eric André, according to a series of posts from an X account for the movie.
Here is the cast revealed in those posts:
The Hollywood Reporter also shared the film’s logline:
Set in 1993, estranged Street Fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) are thrown back into combat when the mysterious Chun-Li (Callina Liang) recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament: a brutal clash of fists, fate, and fury. But behind this battle royale lies a deadly conspiracy that forces them to face off against each other and the demons of their past. And if they don’t, it’s GAME OVER!
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RFK Jr. faced tough hearing on vaccines, CDC changes : Shots

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. arrives to testify before the Senate Finance Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on September 4, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
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In a contentious Senate hearing marked by raised voices and heated exchanges, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced calls to resign from Democrats and unexpected criticism from Republicans.
Several Republican senators brought up the legacy of President Donald Trump’s Operation Warp Speed, which sent a safe COVID vaccine to the public in record time, helping save millions of lives. They pushed Kennedy to explain his current approach to the shots and mRNA technology.
Under his leadership, the health agency cancelled hundreds of millions of dollars in research funding on mRNA technology for future vaccines, and the Food and Drug Administration limited access to the COVID shots, saying only people at high risk of complications from COVID or those over 65.
“President Trump deserves a Nobel Prize for Operation Warp Speed,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and physician, whose vote was critical in Kennedy’s confirmation. He demanded Kennedy explain his changing stance on COVID vaccines, and said: “effectively, we’re denying people vaccine” — an assertion echoed by many physicians’ groups including the American Association of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association.
Cassidy had exacted assurances from Kennedy during his confirmation process in February that he would not restrict Americans’ access to vaccines, a promise the senator now accuses Kennedy of violating. Kennedy fired the entire 17-member Advisory Panel on Immunization Practices at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, replacing them with members Cassidy argued are largely unscientific vaccine skeptics with vested financial interests in suing vaccine makers.
Another Republican physician on the Senate Finance Committee, Dr. John Barrasso of Wyoming, joined Democrats in criticizing Kennedy for undermining vaccines.
“In your confirmation hearings, you promised to uphold the highest standards for vaccines. Since then, I’ve grown deeply concerned,” Barrasso told Kennedy at the hearing. “I’ve been hearing from many of my medical colleagues, and there are real concerns that safe, proven vaccines like measles, like hepatitis B and others, could be in jeopardy and that would put Americans at risk and reverse decades of progress.”
He accused Kennedy of politicizing vaccines further, and undermining public health.
CDC leadership change debated
Kennedy hotly defended his decisions and statements on vaccines and on changes at the CDC, arguing the agencies have historically relied on bad data.
“These changes were absolutely necessary adjustments to restore the agency to its role as the world’s gold standard public health agency,” he said. He claimed he had the backing of “scientists and doctors are supporting me all across the country.”
Senators also repeatedly asked Kennedy about his decision to push out newly confirmed CDC chief Susan Monarez. Though she was his own pick to lead the agency, he said Monarez was lying when she claimed she was fired from that job after only a month for insisting on rigorous scientific review.
In response to questions from Warren, Kennedy said: “I told her she had to resign because I asked her, ‘Are you a trustworthy person?’ And she said, ‘No.'”
Trump administration allies like Republican Ron Johnson of Wisconsin rushed to his defense, calling the senators’ pointed questions “abuse,” and lauding Kennedy for his attempts to overhaul health agencies.
Vaccine access arguments
Kennedy’s seven-and-a-half month tenure as Health Secretary is roiling the fields of science and health. His early sweeping changes included mass layoffs across the federal health and science agencies, from the FDA to the CDC to the National Institutes of Health.
Democratic senators took issue with these and other changes, as they and Kennedy accused each other of lying and manipulating data to serve political ends.
The committee’s ranking Democratic member Sen. Ron Wyden criticized Kennedy’s approach to vaccines: “I think Secretary Kennedy is dead set on making it harder for children to get vaccines and that kids are going to die because of it,” he said.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Democrat from Massachusetts, challenged Kennedy to “honor your promise that you made when you were looking to get confirmed” not to take away vaccines from people who want them. She said his recent moves to change the classification of the COVID vaccine do just that.
In response, Kennedy said “everybody can get access to them” for free, including those on Medicare and Medicaid, though the many contradictory statements have left many patients, doctors and insurers confused.
Kennedy said it was unclear the COVID vaccine had saved millions of lives — a data point generally accepted by scientists and doctors. But he also seemed to backtrack on assertions that he is “anti-vaccine,” arguing that there remain some unknown risks, even with long-approved vaccines.
“Saying I’m anti-vaccine is like saying I’m anti-medicine,” Kennedy said, arguing he just wants more research to look into possible risks. “It doesn’t mean that I’m, you know, anti-vax. It just means I’m pro-science.”
His argument didn’t appear to sway the Democratic senators in attendance, with several calling for Kennedy to resign throughout the hearing.
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