Livin' La Vida Giorgio Armani... 60 Minutes With Tory Burch...

LIVIN’ LA VIDA GIORGIO: Ricky Martin has turned to Giorgio Armani for his sartorial tour choices on several occasions, and the two are rekindling their partnership for Martin’s “Musica + Alma + Sexo” world tour. Armani custom-made several Emporio Armani outfits for Martin and his dancers, backup singers and the band. “He will help bring Musica + Alma + Sexo alive,” Martin said.

Among the looks for the tour, which kicks off in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on March 25, Armani created black leather jackets for the Eighties punk-themed opening moment, suits for the Twenties jazz segment, navy blue-and-white stripes for the Mediterranean section and white ensembles for the Afro-Brazilian-themed finale.

“Ricky personifies today’s modern man and is an extraordinary talent,” Armani said. “Last summer, Ricky attended my Emporio Armani men’s fashion show in Milan. We became enthusiastic over the prospect of collaborating again.”

60 MINUTES WITH TORY BURCH: Lest anyone in the nearly sold-out crowd at French Institute Alliance Française’s Wednesday night fashion talk with Tory Burch was unaware of her rise from socialite-fashion public relations executive to international fashion lifestyle sensation, they aren’t now. Moderator Pamela Golbin took Burch through the well-parsed details of her ascent up the fashion business food chain, from working out of her home with a handful of employees to her global business of 45-and-counting stores and a staff of 800. Revelations were few, but Burch did mention flirting with the idea of a men’s line, inspired by her father’s wardrobe, as well as finally taking the leap from presentation to full-fledged fashion show next season.

NEW FRIENDS: The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund support base is growing. J. Crew will serve as the fund’s new partner this year, while Carolina Herrera, Tommy Hilfiger, Tiffany & Co., Starbucks and thecorner.com/Yoox Group signed on as its underwriters, joining American Express, Liz Claiborne Inc., Nordstrom, Theory, Lord & Taylor, Appleman Foundation, Barneys New York, Coach, L’Oréal Paris and Vogue. The application process for the monetary and mentoring awards kicks off Monday. Finalists will be unveiled in July and winners in mid-November.

DIOR CANCELLATION: Timing is everything in fashion — which might explain why the Fashion Institute of Technology decided to nix plans for a discussion and signing of Roxanne Lowit’s “Backstage Dior” book. Lowit chronicled 10 years of Dior shows by John Galliano in the tome, which also has a foreword by the fallen designer. “The timing didn’t seem right,” a spokeswoman for FIT said.

NIGHT FEVER: Louis Vuitton will be setting up a summer pop-up shop in Cannes, France, opening just in time for the 64th annual film festival. Situated next to Vuitton’s store on the Croisette, the unit will focus on ready-to-wear and accessories for evening in a decor inspired by the seaside and film, all glistening mirrors and cinematic lighting. There will also be a garden courtyard that will double as a lounge and an area for the display of luxury watches and jewelry.