>> Spring 2010 may be a "safe" campaign season in the making, but not all designers are afraid to change things up. Word is up-and-coming photographer Josh Olins has breached the usually ad-shooting group of Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, Mario Testino, Mario Sorrenti, David Sims, Steven Meisel, and Steven Klein, nabbing the Spring 2010 Giorgio Armani campaign as his own. And it's rumored Juergen Teller won't just be exclusive to Marc Jacobs image-making this season: apparently he's helping Phoebe Philo curate the new Celine image by photographing newcomer Valerija Kelava and Carmen Kass for her first ads for the brand.

As for Stefano Pilati, it sounds like he's sticking to his winning supermodel-Inez and Vinoodh formula, going on six seasons strong. Natalia Vodianova, WWD reports, is said to be next up.

>> Giorgio Armani, who has historically been vague about his plans for a successor on both the creative and management side of his company, hinted earlier today that he is taking precautionary measures. "I'm already organizing staff who will continue my work. Of course I am not eternal, there comes a time when you must hand it over." In the past, he has talked about both selling the company and a bourse listing — no word on whether either is still being considered.

The 75-year-old designer, who is in Moscow for a succession of Armani promotional events — a cocktail party, a Fall 2009 Emporio Armani fashion show, and a Fall 2009 Giorgio Armani presentation — is coming off the recent announcement that he has eased his workload following a hepatitis scare.  But today he was fit enough to joke with reporters about his appearance: "You see how I am, I don't look bad yet, do I?"

>> Giorgio Armani Eases Workload —His hepatitis diagnosis in May and slighter figure in June when he presented his Spring 2010 collection have spurred many questions about the future for Giorgio Armani and his brand. Although he avoided questions about naming a successor last week, saying he has no plans to ease up, Armani announced three senior management changes today to help ease his workload. “The illness made me understand that you can’t joke with your life. For years, I ignored myself completely until I received this blow, which happened for a reason. I realized I had to be more careful. All the stress and mental and physical possibilities take their toll." He admitted to working shorter hours, but also noted that, “during my illness, I realized how much I need creative outlets." [WWD, WWD]

>> Armani, Versace Supposedly Had Bidding War Over Megan Fox —  When Victoria Beckham declined to renew her Emporio Armani underwear ad contract earlier this month, rumors went around that Megan Fox was signed to replace her.  But now, Derek Blasberg reports: "Word on the casting couch is that [Fox] is taking over the [Armani] fragrance campaign for Beyonce, AND the fashion campaign also. This, after a Fox bidding war with none other than Versace." [Derek Blasberg Twitter, Derek Blasberg Twitter]

>> Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld Prepares Art Party for Second Consecutive New York Fashion Week —For the second season in a row, Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld is curating an art exhibit with a New York Fashion Week launch party. Last season, Louis Vuitton sponsored his look at the works of three photographers — including PC Valmorbida — and this season, he's teaming up with PC's brother, Australian billionaire heir and art dealer Andy Valmorbida, plus Giorgio Armani for “Richard Hambleton — New York,” focusing on the work of the last living member of the East Village Art Movement and contemporary of Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat. [WWD]

>> Giorgio Armani has niece Roberta Armani increasingly stepping in for him in the public eye as a brand ambassador and just released the newest set of underwear ads featuring David Beckham this morning, but the brand face we're most interested in is Raquel Zimmermann, whose Fall 2009 ads for Armani — the first of many for her this season — are starting to pop up.  The same team was used for Fall 2009 as for Spring 2009: stylist Katy England with Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, but Raquel replaces Sasha Pivovarova as the face of the brand.

>> THE MODELIZER —Talk in the last week has centered on which model might be poised to give Raquel Zimmermann a run for a place on top of the heap — Lara Stone or Natasha Poly — but her Fall 2009 campaign run is shaping up well so far — she's shot Gucci and Jean Paul Gaultier, both with Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, Giorgio Armani with Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, and Hermes with Eric Valli — all supposedly before she bleached her hair.  Speaking of the new hair, the first editorial with it on display appears in the July 2009 issue of Vogue Nippon, captured by Mert and Marcus (above). [WeLoveModels, TFS]

>> After receiving a "high level of interest" over the past few days about his health — "there have been several phone calls asking the same questions and expressing the same concerns" — Giorgio Armani issued a statement yesterday "to calm these worries in my usual direct and clear style of communication."

The 74-year-old designer confirmed that he has "in fact suffered from hepatitis by poisoning, which, certainly is not a rare illness. Nevertheless it is one which requires some time for a complete recovery."  In the meantime, he says his “commitment both on the creative and management side [of his company] has never relented,” and everything "has continued to operate normally with business as usual . . . Consequently there has been no shift in delegation of my authorities to any one of the executives and everything in the company is proceeding with the usual energy."