ROME.- The Giorgio Armani exhibition goes to the Baths of Diocletian next May, as part of its five-venue tour. The Royal Academy of Arts’ space at Burlington Gardens in London will have it through February 15.  From May 6 to August 1, 2004, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the Ministry for Cultural Heritage / Archeological Superintendence of Rome, present the exhibition Giorgio Armani: Retrospective at the Baths of Diocletian. After Rome the exhibition will travel to Tokyo and Los Angeles. The Baths of Diocletian, the largest baths in Rome and in the ancient Roman world, were completed at the beginning of the 4th century A.D. Giorgio Armani is the first non archeological exhibition to be presented in its immense galleries. The exhibition is co-curated by Germano Celant, Senior Curator of Contemporary Art at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and Harold Koda, guest curator for the exhibition and Curator-in-Charge at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, with Susan Cross, Associate Curator, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and Karole Vail, Assistant Curator, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

 Featuring more than 500 garments, together with original sketches and audio-visual presentations, the exhibition offers a thematic look at Armani’s career over the last three decades. It explores the cultural and sociological impact of Armani’s designs and highlights his pioneering involvement in cinema. Robert Wilson, the acclaimed theater and visual artist, has created a site-specific installation design for the exhibition at the Baths of Diocletian, an important ancient Roman monument and museum that is a striking and unusual setting for this contemporary design exhibition. Giorgio Armani: Retrospective is made possible by Mercedes-Benz. Additional support is provided by American Express.

 Giorgio Armani is recognized as one of the most influential and iconic designers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. He has been universally credited with both radically changing the rules of contemporary fashion and creating a timeless vision of modern dress. By removing excess ornament and translating traditional sportswear looks into business and evening wear, Armani has developed the contemporary casual style that defines the modern wardrobe. More than 500 garments, original sketches, and audio-visual presentations explore the depth and range of Armani’s work. Arranged thematically, the exhibition at the Baths of Diocletian includes clothes from various periods of Armani’s career, from the late 1970s when he began to achieve prominence, up to his most recent designs for fall 2003.

One section explores the pivotal impact of Armani’s designs on the modern, androgynous look, presenting the designer’s groundbreaking deconstructed jacket, which evolved into soft, sensual suits for both men and women. The exhibition also examines the influence of Eastern and North African cultures on Armani’s work, as well as the designer’s emphasis on the ?non-color? palette, which has contributed to his reputation for subtle elegance. Other sections explore Armani’s linear and minimalist style, his interpretations of traditional ultra-feminine gowns, his black and white women’s evening ensembles, and his use of texture and layering to create extraordinary effects of light and translucency.

Film imagery has a strong impact on both Armani’s clothing designs and advertising campaigns, while Armani’s designs for films, such as American Gigolo, have had a lasting influence on modern style. The exhibition features a gallery devoted to Armani’s relationship with the entertainment industry, with particular reference to the Academy Awards and the films for which he has created wardrobes.