It’s thought that the most copied garments in the world were the costumes of Adrian, who, at the height of his career, was Hollywood’s most sought-after designer. For two decades in Hollywood, he served as costume designer on more than 250 films, including classics like 1939’s The Wizard of Oz.
As chief costume designer for MGM—then the most powerful motion picture studio in the world—Adrian was the vision behind Hollywood’s most glamorous actresses: Joan Crawford, Janet Gaynor, to whom he was married, and Greta Garbo, with whom he had a special relationship.
During the years between the world wars, Adrian, who full name was Adrian Adolph Greenberg, created for the leading ladies of the day some of the most sumptuous costumes and extravagant ensembles audiences had seen on screen, images beamed the world over. At the end of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films, only the simple credit “Gowns by Adrian” appeared.
Adrian was a master at working with different fabrics, and was skilled at modifying French fashion trends to suit a particular actress on camera. He elevated the look to enhance the drama of a film, develop a character, transforming her into femme fatale or a tragic figure.
Among his signatures, Adrian was known for cascading evening dresses and the tailored wool suits, a mid-century wardrobe staple. The Adrian suit, as it was known, featured sharp, broad shoulders and a slim skirt, a style that defined the look of the 40s, before Dior’s New Look surpassed it in 1947.
Capitalizing on Adrian’s success, MGM began setting up “cinema shops” inside department stores, where women could buy versions of the ensembles he had created for the silver screen. In 1942, the designer launched his own ready-to-wear brand and custom-order salon in Beverly Hills. Adrian Ltd. was an immediate success, due in part to America’s isolation from Paris during the war.
Adrian’s work was the focus of an exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in 2002, and, earlier this year, he was the subject of a show at the Museum at FIT.
