ARMANI LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR SUCCESSORS

ARMANI LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR SUCCESSORS

(ANSA) - Rome, October 27 - Giorgio Armani may not be retiring yet, but he has begun laying the groundwork for his successors, the fashion mogul said on Tuesday.

In Moscow for a show celebrating a banner year for the newly opened Emporio Armani on Red Square, the 75-year-old designer snapped at reporters who asked if he was mulling retirement.

''That's an impertinent question,'' he said, before joking ''look at me, I don't look so bad''.

Armani, who was forced to take some time off this year to fight off a bout of hepatitis, admitted that the question of his retiring someday was ''legitimate''.

''I'm not eternal, sooner or later I'll have to leave the helm to someone else,'' said Armani, who started his menswear label in 1974 and his women's line a year later.

But Armani said he was already putting together a staff of possible successors, whom, he promised would have ''a difficult time'' replacing him.

''The people who work for me don't like it when I tell them I'm younger than they are,'' Armani said.

''Working all day to create successful collections is a part of my way of life''.

The designer went on to praise the ''beautiful Russian models'' whom, he said, had become an industry standard.

''If you ask models in Paris where they're from, they tell you Russia. It's the same in Milan,'' he said.

Armani has seen his stake in Russia rise steadily over the last seven years, opening a total of seven stores and two cafes, which rake in around 80 million euros per year, 5% of his fashion empire's annual turnover.

His latest coup, a mega-store on New York's Fifth Avenue, opened in February with a ribbon cutting ceremony some observers compared to a Hollywood premier.

A host of celebrities including Robert De Niro, Victoria Beckham, Liam Neeson, Alicia Keys and Leonardo di Caprio were among regular customers who turned out for the event. Photo: Armani in Red Square