Milan Fashion Week kicks off Wednesday in an atmosphere of gloom and doom with some 10 fewer shows in the lineup because of the global financial crisis.

While 95 fashion houses staged shows a year ago, this year’s programme has attracted only 79. A total of 93 brands showed their summer 2009 collections here last September.

Four of the world’s leading fashion editors are putting their signatures on the visual identity of Prada stores in New York, London, Milan, and Paris for the upcoming fashion season.

Following the order of the fashion week season, W Magazine’s Alex White will start the project with the New York Broadway store.

Love’s Katie Grand will then apply her vision to London’s Bond Street location.

Manchester City are reported to have made a sensational 100 million euro bid for AC Milan’s Brazilian star Kaka.

Reports claim that a delegation from Eastlands travelled to Italy on Tuesday to hold talks with their Milan counterparts.

City are believed to have tabled a 100million euro offer and would be willing to pay Kaka 15million euros per season but the Brazilian superstar has insisted he wants to “grow old” at AC Milan.

Giorgio Armani explored a merger with French luxury group Hermes but without success, the Italian designer told Bloomberg, adding he planned to keep control of his fashion empire as long as he stays healthy.

Mr. Armani, who is in his 70s and one of Milan’s long-established names, was quoted in an interview with the news agency as saying a merger with Hermes would have united the companies’ strengths in clothes and accessories.

“(A deal) could have been something fantastic,” Mr. Armani said in the interview published on Friday. “Hermes has such class, such prestige.”

Samsung Electronics and Giorgio Armani have partnered to release the first 46 – and 52-inch full HD TV Armani / PAVV TV in the Korean market.

Providing both Armani’s elegant design and Samsung’s cutting edge technology, the Armani/PAVV TV was first unveiled at I Saloni 2008, Milan international furniture show.

The Armani / TV PAVV supports DNIePro (Digital Natural Image engine +) chipset, WiseLink, InfoLink and 120Hz Auto Plus Motion technologies.

The luxury LCD TV will come in 46 inch for 6,990,000 Korean won ($7,000) and 52 inch for 8,690,000 Korean won ($8,750).

Aurum, an Italian company, is the sole agent of a precious parquet covered with 24 carat gold leaves which bring refinement of materials and craftsmanship in the most exclusive houses.

The elegance of the rich woods and the brightness and glints of the gold and silver give style and charm to the chicest houses, to the yachts, to the shops and to the suites of the most prestigious hotels.

The collection includes 11 patented patterns: 6 in gold (at around 6,800 euros a square meter!), 4 in silver and 1 in copper. Gold leaves applied on wood boards and finished with wax and specific treatments to enhance the natural grain of the wood and to keep brilliance and wear.

If you really love Italy, you have to know that the same price could get you a central Milan apartment !