ABSENT FRIENDS: Giorgio Armani on Thursday hosted street artist Richard Hambleton’s first European solo exhibition since 1985, but the guest of honor missed the party. Clive Owen, Roberta Armani, Mario Testino, Tatiana Santo Domingo and Rachel Zoe were among the crowd who turned out for the opening at the Armani Teatro in Milan. Curators Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld and Andy Valmorbida explained that Hambleton, who returned to the art scene last year after a 25-year absence, rarely leaves his Lower East Side home. “He is very elusive,” said Valmorbida. The two are attempting to make a documentary about the artist with Oscar-nominated director Oren Jacoby, but that is also proving a challenge. “He’s such a difficult character to grab and to work with that it takes a lot of time,” said Restoin Roitfeld. Still, they are planning another show of Hambleton’s work in the fall — this time in Beijing.
Giorgio Armani revealed he was feeling nervous about the upcoming launch of his hotel in the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai, though not because of any financial market jitters. “I’ve been working on this for five years. I’m finally going to see what I designed, and it’s a bit nerve-racking to think that what I liked five years ago might look old now,” he explained.
Owen, meanwhile, was enjoying some time off after completing the filming of “Trust,” a feature written and directed by former “Friends” star David Schwimmer. “I’m not sure what I’m doing next,” he mused, saying he was considering several projects.