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The history of Hollywood would look drastically different without costume designer Adrian, whose reign at MGM made him both a household name and the creator of some of the most iconic images of the 1930s. Now, those images will spring off the screen and into an exhibit hall with Adrian: Designing Hollywood, Dressing America.
Featuring costumes and accessories, the free exhibit opens August 28 at the ASU FIDM Museum in downtown Los Angeles, offering a deep dive into the work of Gilbert Adrian. The exhibition runs through December 12.
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If you don't immediately recognize the name, you almost certainly recognize the work. Adrian designed costumes for more than 200 productions, including The Wizard of Oz and those ruby slippers, and his creations helped turn Joan Crawford into a fashion icon (who do you think gave her shoulder pads?) while putting Jean Harlow into some of the slinkiest silk gowns ever committed to celluloid. During the 1930s, “Gowns by Adrian” became its own kind of Hollywood branding, a promise that whatever the star was wearing, she would look spectacular.
What's special about this exhibition is that it moves past Adrian's status as an iconic costume designer to examine how his work influenced the ideal of glamour and high fashion for American women.
In 1942, Adrian opened his own couture salon on Wilshire Boulevard, eventually expanding his influence through clothing sold by major retailers around the country. His razor-sharp tailoring, dramatic silhouettes and penchant for making a woman look like the most important person in the room helped translate Hollywood fantasy into everyday fashion.
The ASU FIDM Museum's exhibition brings together more than 50 rare ensembles and accessories from its collection, supplemented by loans from private collectors. It's a chance to see Adrian's work up close, and in a banner year: His dress for Crawford in Letty Lynton became more famous than the movie itself, which just became available to see again after decades in legal limbo. Now, fans have yet another chance to see his work with this exhibit.
Adrian: Designing Hollywood, Dressing America opens August 28 at the ASU FIDM Museum, 919 S. Grand Ave., and is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10am to 5pm. Admission is free. For more info, click here.