By Jenny Lam
Do you remember “The Wizard of Oz”? Back in 1939 when images weren’t in color but black and white. I guess you didn’t know who designed the costumes for the characters either, don’t worry I didn’t either.
Adrian Adolph Greensburg was an American costume designer who designed the costumes for The Wizard of Oz as well as hundreds of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films between 1928 to 1941.(Figure 1) His contributions to the world of fashion went beyond the silver screen. [1]
Designing all the costumes for The Wizard of Oz, “….Adrian was not afraid to test surprising new styles or have a bit of fun with a design. He maintained it would either be fashionable by the time the movie was reviewed or be so unusual that it was exempt from fashion.” [3] (Figure 2)
One design of Adrian’s stood out the most, was the ruby slippers for Dorothy (Judy Garland) in The Wizard of Oz (Figure 3). There were two variations for the shoe design. The first pair was an “Arabian Test Pair” with the curling toes and heels. This didn’t quite suit Dorothy’s farm girl image, so he had to recreate the design which is now worth over $666,000. [2] The details on the shoes consisted of 2,300 sequins. Thinking that Adrian only created one shoe, there was as many as 10 pairs each varying half a size larger.
Dresses he designed was to prove that women didn’t need to have a perfect figure to look good in what they wear. Drawing the attention to the garment itself, it was to assist hiding the body’s imperfections. [6] The designs of the clothing he did was more reflected on his personal interpretation of the skill rather than the historical time. It was appealing to the eye of many as he designed for more than 250 different films.
Being a costume designer, may seem like an easy task to many until you are placed into their shoes. Adrian’s overlooked many of his designs to make sure the dresses seem more dynamic onscreen as he insisted on using the finest materials and workmanship for the final execution. In the world of aesthetic taste, a number of variations and mutually contradictory taste preferences prevail. [4]
Adrian’s influence was noticed by every showroom and store in the company. If trying to figure out who Adrian was, I would say it would be from the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz. The pure intention of the artist is that of a producer who aims to autonomous, this is, entirely the master of his product. [5]
[4] Despina Christoforidou, Elin Olander And Anders Warell (2012) The Design Journal: Good Taste vs. Good Design: A Tug of War in the Light of Bling (WK5 Reading)
[3] Hollis Jenkins Evans,”Adrian” Vintage Fashion Guild, Accessed 11th April, 2019
https://vintagefashionguild.org/fashion-history/adrian/
[2] New England Historical Society, “Adrian, The Hatmaker’s Son Who Dressed America” Accessed 11th April 2019 http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/adrian-hatmakers-son-dressed-america/
[5] Pierre Bourdieu (1984) Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste (WK 5 Reading)
[6] Ruby Lane Social. Adrian Adolph Greenberg – The Man Behind the Curtain – Glamorous Fashion Gown, 2011. Accessed 11th April 2019 https://www.rubylane.com/blog/categories/vintage-collectibles/adrian-adolph-greenberg-the-man-behind-the-curtain-glamorous-fashion-gowns/ .
[1] Savour Flair “10 Influential Fashion Designers That Time Forgot” Grace Gordon, 2016, Accessed 11th April 2019https://www.savoirflair.com/fashion/212028/forgotten-influential-fashion-designers
Design Practices 