Even Giorgio Armani has felt the effects of the global slowdown in fashion and luxury sales. In FY2024, the Armani Group reported consolidated net revenues of €2.3 billion, down 5% year-over-year at constant exchange rates and 6% at current exchange rates. Revenues from the direct retail channel fell more moderately, by 3% at current rates, despite several temporary store closures due to restructuring. Based on data from various specialized research firms, the company noted that this performance was in line with the 2024 industry average for fashion and luxury.
Giorgio Armani was born in Piacenza, Italy, on July 11, 1934. – Gruppo Armani
“In an international macroeconomic and geopolitical scenario marked by persistent tensions and high uncertainty, and despite the specific slowdown in the fashion and luxury sector, in 2024 the Armani Group also achieved solid and positive economic and financial results at the consolidated level, albeit down from the previous year,” the Italian company emphasized.
The Armani Group reported record investments for the fiscal year, all fully self-funded, reaching €332 million—twice the amount spent in 2023 (€168.5 million) and nearly triple the typical annual investment in previous years. These funds went toward renovating key flagship stores, including the Madison Avenue location in New York, Emporio Armani Milano, Palazzo Armani, and the brand’s new headquarters on Rue François 1er in Paris. The company also brought e-commerce operations in-house.
Geographically, Europe again generated 49% of consolidated net revenues in 2024, maintaining its share from the previous year. The Americas accounted for 22%, while Asia-Pacific fell to around 19%, slightly down from 2023, primarily due to the slowdown in the Chinese market.
Post-IFRS16 EBITDA totaled €398 million in 2024, marking a 24% decline from the previous year (€523 million). EBIT and net income before taxes (EBT) amounted to €67 million and €74.5 million, respectively—consistent with the EBITDA trend and reflective of the impact from numerous extraordinary investments made.
The result reflects a mid-single-digit revenue decline alongside a slight 2.5% increase in operating expenses. The Armani Group’s net cash and cash equivalents stood at €569.7 million at the end of 2024, compared to €945.6 million at the end of 2023.
“During 2024, although I was well aware of the market slowdown already felt in the second half of 2023 and the many critical issues arising from the international context, I continued to operate with an eye to the future,” Giorgio Armani, Chairman and CEO of the Armani Group, said in the statement. “It is with this in mind that I have chosen in each case to invest in projects of great importance, both symbolic and concrete, which are fundamental for the company’s tomorrow. In any case, 2024 closed with positive results, the result of sound and prudent management, further confirming the Group’s solidity.”
“We opted for restrained pricing policies with increases below the rate of inflation and for a distribution oriented to quality rather than quantity, as shown by the stability of the number of points of sale, therefore without forcing and with selective criteria,” added Giuseppe Marsocci, Deputy Managing Director & Chief Commercial Officer of the Armani Group. “Ultimately, the decision was to focus on product quality and customer experience, even at the cost of sacrificing margins in the short term, in the belief that this choice will make us more competitive when the market returns to growth.”
“I am convinced that pursuing consistency and continuity, avoiding chasing immediate gains, is the best strategy to ensure success in the long run,” added Giorgio Armani, who is back from a convalescence after hospitalization at the end of June, which did not allow him—for the first time in 50 years—to attend in person the fashion shows of his two menswear lines in Milan, Giorgio Armani and Emporio Armani. “It is precisely thanks to this approach, in an increasingly complex and competitive global context, that I can proudly say that I have maintained the Group’s independence and stability.”
Lululemon Athletica’s CEO shake-up has put the spotlight on the once-dominant yoga pants maker’s race to wrest back younger and affluent shoppers from rivals and revive its sagging U.S. business.
Calvin McDonald – Reuters
Its shares, which have halved in value this year, rose 10% on Friday following the departure of CEO Calvin McDonald after about seven years in the role.
An athleisure pioneer known for its premium yoga apparel, Lululemon lost ground as newer rivals such as Alo Yoga and Vuori weaned away its core younger shoppers with trendier styles, marketing campaigns and celebrity partnerships.
Meanwhile, established players like Nike and Gap also entered the market with lower-priced styles.
Lululemon “caught the perfect wave in fashion, becoming the trend for the last five years,” said Brian Mulberry, senior client portfolio manager at Zacks Investment Management.
“But as its core customers graduate college and face tighter budgets, affordability is a challenge and a new outfit at Lulu can cost as much as a month’s groceries.”
Lululemon sells a range of yoga, running and training apparel such as Align yoga pants priced at $108 and men’s joggers at $128.
The slow refresh to core styles and product missteps, such as its decision to pull its $98 “Breezethrough” leggings from shelves last year, have led to heavy discounting to clear aged inventory.
At an earnings call late on Thursday, company executives said the board is “focused on a leader with experience and growth and transformation”.
“It’s understandable to think that a strategic overhaul with a new leader at the helm will be a positive, but this opens the door to more questions as to what direction the board will go with a replacement,” said Jay Woods, chief market strategist at Freedom Capital Markets.
Lululemon is the latest global consumer company facing leadership churn as macroeconomic uncertainty fuels increasingly divergent spending patterns.
Lululemon is making efforts to speed up product development, launch fresh styles and drive company-wide efficiencies to offset cost inflation and protect margins.
The company beat third-quarter results, lifted by strong China sales, but issued a weaker-than-expected holiday forecast as higher promotions and increased spending on marketing weigh on margins.
Founder Chip Wilson, who is also Lululemon’s largest independent shareholder, in a statement on Friday slammed the board for “poor succession planning” and value erosion.
He called for an urgent CEO search led by new, independent directors with deep company knowledge to restore a product-first focus. Lululemon did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Wilson’s statement.
The company’s forward price-to-earnings multiple, a common benchmark for valuing stocks, is 14.66, compared to 31.26 for Nike and Abercrombie & Fitch‘s ratio of 10.8, according to LSEG data.
“The main challenge I foresee for the new leadership is not how consumers see Lulu, but how does it see itself?” said Mulberry.
Ferragamo appoints Alberto Tomba as a brand ambassador. The collaboration with the Italian skiing legend celebrates values shared by the Florentine fashion house: dedication, perseverance, resilience and attention to detail.
Alberto Tomba
Born in 1966, Tomba is the quintessential emblem of an Italy that invests in talent, commitment and the ability to push beyond one’s limits. His career is marked by major international successes, including three Olympic gold medals and two silver medals, two World Championship gold medals and two bronze medals, and 50 World Cup victories.
The Bologna-born skier is also the only athlete to have won races in 11 consecutive seasons (1987-1998) and to have claimed four World Cup discipline titles in giant slalom and four in slalom.
“Tomba’s sporting journey perfectly reflects Ferragamo’s philosophy: every achievement comes from sacrifice, every result from dedication. We share with him a deep sense of authenticity and a love of excellence, values that continue to inspire our daily work,” said Leonardo Ferragamo.
“Being chosen by Ferragamo is an honour,” Tomba commented. “I have always believed that sport and style share a common language: that of passion, rigour and the desire to improve every day. Representing a brand that embodies all this, and that brings Italian beauty and craftsmanship to the world, is a source of great pride.”
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New York–based fashion brand Guizio is expanding its retail footprint with the opening of its second store, at Aventura Mall in Miami, this month.
Guizio expands retail footprint with Miami store opening. – Guizio
Designed in collaboration with Brandi Howe, the new Miami store reflects the brand’s refined aesthetic and contemporary edge, while introducing elements inspired by Miami’s vibrant energy.
It opens with a robust assortment of womenswear, along with an exclusive, limited-edition Puma sneaker available only at the Miami location.
“Opening a Guizio store in Aventura Mall is such a special moment for me,” said Danielle Guizio, founder and designer. “It allows us to connect with our community here and share the brand’s energy in a new way. Bringing our world to Miami felt like a natural next step in growing Guizio, and we’re so excited for what’s ahead.”
Guizio founded her namesake womenswear label in 2014 and continues to offer ready-to-wear collections that celebrate the modern-day woman.
Through her collections, woven knits, structured suiting, and signature corsets are emboldened with asymmetrical details, purposeful cut-outs, ruching and custom hardware. The label has become a favorite among talent such as Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Rosalia, and more.
The opening follows the success of the brand’s SoHo flagship in New York, which opened in September 2024.
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