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I must say it is an honor to have had the
chance to adore this gown. In my business I am always handling
rare and beautiful garments, but never have I come across an
Adrian of such grace and beauty. Gilbert Adrian created the signature
looks for the great Hollywood divas in the 1930s like Garbo,
Shearer, Crawford, Garland, Harlow, and Hepburn (Katherine) to
name a few. He was responsible for the costuming of one of my
favorite movies The Women (remember that bit of color.. the fashion
show with those far out designs... I could eat it up with a spoon),
and he was the Creative Director for the Wizard of Oz. Gilbert
took into account the actress as well as the character she would
be portraying when he designed a dress, suit or gown. He surveyed
her attitudes, her personal style, and her body to find the look
that would make her shine. As a result, he created a definitive
look that women all over the world wanted to have for themselves.
The retail marked jumped to produce affordable dresses that imitated
Adrian's creation. Harlow's bias-cut silk gowns, and Joan Crawford's
broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted suits were adored on the
silver screen, then were copied, mass produced and sold to women
all over the world by Macy's, Gimbals, and the like.
In 1942 Adrian left MGM (some say he left
over a dispute about Garbo, that MGM wanted to de-glam her a
bit) and opened a salon in Beverly Hills, catering to the very
well-to-do. He also began a ready to wear line that sold only
in the most exclusive stores in America, and the production of
his designs were limited to just a few per design. Thusly, Adrian
pieces are very, very rare, and the evening gowns are the most
highly prized of all. |
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This amazing Adrian Original is
a true gem. Every time I view it, I am in awe of its beauty and
grace. This dress was obviously made during his "Grecian"
theme period (other periods were Persian, Gothic, Spanish and
Americana), the white
tape label reads "Model 9530 Bess/5464" next to
the Adrian
Original label. It has been suggested to me, from an expert
on Adrian that the Bess label identifies the piece as originating
from an MGM motion picture, and that Bess was probably Bess Flowers,
(not a primary player) from either the picture "Hi Diddle
Diddle" or "Smart Woman".
The gown is comprised of layers
of crepe chiffon, masterfully cut, hand finished and draped to
perfection. Under the chiffon layers is a silk "slip"
that is split up the front to the waist. The gown closes up the
back with a very fine metal zipper, than the silk covers the
zipper with little hooks and eyes. The neck strap starts on the
front of the bust, then carries around the neck, to close at
the bust with 2 hooks. The bodice is boned, and the interior
bust has two small, round "falsies" sewn in to add
some more curves. The skirt's layers are all different lengths,
with asymmetrical hemlines that create a varied, flowering look.
The gown is in very good condition,
and it is definitely wearable, though I would wear it with extreme
caution. There are a few very small tears at the hem, but they
are lost in the drapes of the skirt. Some of the black threads
turned a reddish color with age, but it is not seen easily.
My dress form is about a size 4-6
and this gown fits beautifully. The bust measurement is small,
but as you can see in the pictures, the bodice does accommodate
about an a or b cup.
Bust: 29"
Waist: 24"
Hips: 35"
Length 45" from the bottom of the bodice to the longest
part of the skirt hem.
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