Gilbert Adrian: Hollywood Style

A tribute to Hollywood costume designer Gilbert Adrian. In the video I say that the only book out there about Adrian is "Gowns by Adrian", but that has changed. Now there is "Adrian: A Lifetime of Movie Glamour, Art and High Fashion" from 2019.

[@janeflip1]

Yes, old movies did give you hope and an escape! What fun to imagine yourself in a lifestyle like these!

[@nycweboy]

“Gowns By Adrian” is a terrific book, organized primarily by star - part of Adrian’s genius was that his approach to each star was individualized, and helped them be memorable for their unique styles.

[@Aannan]

It's so great to see some Adrian appreciation on KZbin! Thankyou!

[@CindersVale]

I always love his outfits and gowns in the movie "The Women". A truly talented designer whose work will last and be remembered.

[@twinboys6401]

Cinders Vale one of my favorite movie.

[@denisegore1884]

Thank you for this. I'm inspired to recreate the dress Joan Crawford wore in The Women. The difference being, I am no good at sewing but I'm a fabulous knitter with a fierce determination.

[@h.calvert3165]

Hope you worked out a pattern & got your dream gown! 💃

[@nghandihede5928]

Just LOVE HIM!!! When I view a movie and have not seen the credits, I can ALWAYS tell an Adrian Design! No one was like him. NO ONE!💋💋💋🦋💋💋💋 Greta Garbo always did justice to his fashions❤💋🔥💛💋

[@MichaelDJ68]

Also, if it's an MGM film up through 1941, you can almost assume that he was involved.

[@JulianneHannes]

Same, if it's timeless glamour it's by Adrian

[@christinap6760]

Adrian is good designer! I like his dresses and his outfits for old Hollywood dresses. He was very modern elegant and very very creative! I adore old Hollywood dressing, everything!!! This is the true cinema 🥰🥰🥰

[@gulmerton2394]

The beauty and delight of the golden era movies had everything to do with costumes and marvelous gowns so I think it is a scandal that nobody ever thought of creating a category for designers at the Oscars.

[@jcmorton8003]

loved all his creations. Thank you for this

[@carleavesceo709]

Adrian was a big part of the Golden Age of Hollywood. His designs captured the splendor and glamour.

[@XX-gy7ue]

THE MAN WAS A GREAT AND GIFTED ARTIST ! THANK GOD WE STILL HAVE THE MOVIES TO PROVE IT ! HE WAS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT !

[@knockshinnoch1950]

Fascinating documentary. One of the under valued contributors to the golden age of Hollywood

[@dwhatsit1]

Thank you for such an informative video! Adrian was/is my favorite designer; long before I even knew his name. I was very surprised to find this and immediately began watching it over and over, quenching my thirst to learn more. Thank you very much, Michael D. Jackson. Your effort has not gone unappreciated!

[@curson250]

This was so good and informative, many thanks for all your work putting it together.

[@robertldesigns]

The book is wonderful! Have one on my coffee table.

[@thelasonj]

Wonderful thanks for sharing! I love Adrian!

[@XX-gy7ue]

HIS WORK WAS SIMPLY SPECTACULAR ! THANK GOD FOR FILM !

[@citizen1163]

& KZbin ;)

[@XX-gy7ue]

@@citizen1163 , amen , HAPPY EASTER 🐣

[@citizen1163]

@@XX-gy7ue Aww cute! You too 🐣

[@XX-gy7ue]

@@citizen1163 thank you 👼

[@copanationdie]

ADRIAN is my favorite Hollywood designer. He deserved many Oscars.

[@elizabethreed5178]

I loved his designs in the movie, The Women. SO good. Such a classic film and many of his designs from that movie and others can still be worn today and look fresh and bright.

[@noeljordanracca723]

❤❤❤ Thank you for featuring Gilbert Adrian

[@sabrinagrant8003]

This was great! I always wondered about that name when it popped up across from gowns by. I’d love to see the video on Edith Head😀

[@astroboyfan12]

Adrian push Joan Crawford’s style and helped establish her as a fashion icon.

[@BrandonFer]

Thanks for the fabulously informative video!

[@markofashion1790]

I enjoy this fashion show in classic film. He was state of the art fashion. One my favorite film The Women. Thanks

[@citizen1163]

Genius, beautiful Adrian. Everything I love about old Hollywood in this all too short clip plus 11:01 Richard Burton (dancing!) & Julie Andrews on stage in Camelot! What a treat! Thanks for sharing! 🙏

[@cherigreen4471]

Great job! I loved the designs in the movie The Women. Adrian and Edith Head were amazingly talented!

[@matthewedwards3550]

Well doned Michael!!!...I adore Edith Head and her work!!! And YOU young man are ADORABLE!!!

[@eamestv]

Jean Harlow says 'Machines will take the place of every profession' Response from Marie Dressler, " After looking Harlow over says, " 'Oh my dear that's something you need never worry about." Classic Hollywood. A great period in movies. Dinner at 8 1933.

[@suzannemilligan8648]

Michael! Color me surprised!! Love your tribute to GA and love you : )

[@meritofapproval]

Wonderful tribute to a incredibly talented costume designer! 👗

[@debbied7035]

How could you leave out the Madame Satan dress? It's a masterpiece.

[@MichaelDJ68]

So true. Sorry.

[@rowbygoren1830]

The bottom line is without Adrian, “The Wizard of Oz” would not be the classic film that it was. ...Rowby.

[@MichaelDJ68]

He really went to town on Oz. It just came on TV Friday and I watched it all over again (after at least a 5 year break) and was marveling at all the work that was done with the Munchkins.

[@kathyflorcruz552]

Glinda's gown was actually remodeled by Adrian - it had been worn by Jeanette McDonald before that. I absolutely LOVE that gown & the crown & Dorothy's sequined red shoes. 👠

[@sarahleach9997]

Very good.excellent thanks so much

[@jsmith034086]

I really enjoyed this. Thank you!!!

[@RoomscapeLondon]

Great classy documentary thank you!!!

[@ron-waynehoekstra7007]

A life long fan from my teens . The glamour of it all . What it must have been to be a part of it all those years .

[@jearnott]

Everyone talks about Edith Head as Hollywood’s greatest costume designer, but l’d put Adrian tops!

[@XX-gy7ue]

SO RIGHT ! THIS IS A SPECTACULAR VIDEO !

[@dulceornelasortega2529]

Such beautiful dresses and style

[@janedoe805]

1939 “The Women” absolutely best old movie ever! In fact they made a remake having Meg Ryan play Norma Shearer! As much as I admired Adrian my heart belonged to Edith Head. Thank You 😊 for making that wonderful video. I love your Bow Tie! ♥️👍🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@LetThereBeRaineTV]

Thank you for your hard work and research!

[@edwarddejong8025]

Thanks for making the video. He was a genius.

[@scottrousseau496]

Wonderful tribute. So nice to see.

[@stevew9584]

Great! Very well done!

[@thomassperduti4500]

Undiluted Hokum you cannot speak of Adrian without mentioning his "muse" Joan Crawford. His idea to pad her shoulders revolutionized womens fashion and continues to do so to this very day.

[@valsainking]

I thought the same thing. How can this guy pretend to speak of Adrian without mentioning Crawford? Unthinkable! Both Adrian and photographer to the stars George Hurrell owed a huge deal of their appeal to the Crawford mystique. What's even more hilarious is that even when this guy shows clips of movies with Joan in them, he still fails to reference her. Left me scratching my head. Totally ridiculous oversight on his part.

[@lamoneal]

I don't want to bad mouth the guy, this short is obviously a labor of love, but I have to agree with you. To discuss the work of Adrian without mentioning Joan Crawford (but mentioning Norma Shearer?) is a major oversight.

[@robertgreen1282]

A it was Joan Crawford who did all those rags to Adrian's movies.

[@tomsperduti2967]

@@robertgreen1282 absolutely!

[@maxwilson4748]

Great job Michael! Very informative. despite the sound issues. Thank you!

[@omarchandler4983]

Adrian’s creations were truly stunning. However, if the Cowardly Lion’s costume seems very realistic it’s because it was a lion’s actual hide.😣 Adrian gave Hollywood, the movies, and US so very much.

[@XX-gy7ue]

ADRIAN WAS A GREAT ARTIST AND SHOULD BE ACCEPTED AS SUCH !

[@polarbearsrus6980]

Thanks for sharing!!!

[@guilfordcigarman]

Wouldn't a biographical film about Adrian be something...

[@ayshazaheen3402]

guilfordcigarman FINALLY!!!

[@MichaelDJ68]

He has a very interesting story--a bio-pic on Adrian could be fantastic.

[@gforceeatingcorrect]

Wow !!! Thank-You !!!!

[@michaelmiller1215]

Wonderful!

[@thedandelion157]

Never heard of this obviously extremely talented designer. How he could draw! Though I couldn't help thinking that his last name "Greenberg" was Jewish - and THIS was the reason to have it changed.....

[@JulianneHannes]

The black dress was a throwback to a famous victorian evening gown worn by the Gibson Girl modeled by Evelyn Nesbit

[@kathyflorcruz552]

There was much more to The Women than a "comic tone". Very clever dialogue to be sure - double entendre also...but it really was an incredibly real movie about how women ARE. And the color sequence was a knock out! But Glinda's crown & gown are a sheer delight & never duplicated again. BUT the gown was retooled for Glinda - it was a gown worn previously by Jeanette McDonald. Adrian & Gaynor married & had a son & stayed married until he passed away. I couldn't care less what else he did in bed.

[@libertygiveme1987]

That's right! MGM DID EVERYTHING BIG!!!! That's why they were NUMBER ONE FOR YEARS!!!!

[@libertygiveme1987]

Did anyone else notice that when the title "The Women" came up, underneath, were the words - "AS PRESENTED FOR 666 PERFORMANCES IN ITS TRIUMPHANT RUN AT THE ETHEL BARRYMORE THEATRE, NEW YORK"? VERY INTERESTING, and CREEPY at the same time!!!!

[@virginagobetz4756]

The best- - the very very best!

[@libertygiveme1987]

If Adrian wasn't famous enough, "The Wizard Of Oz" would have DEFINITELY MADE HIM!!!!

[@MicaRayan]

5:06 oh my! Look at that, just look at that ....!

[@julietteyork3721]

Wow, fantastic documentary. Well done. A few comments/questions... Seeing Adrian sketch was a thrill. I wish I could watch more footage like that, of him and other designers. It was mesmerizing. When I saw some of the costumes in “Ziegfeld Girl” I wondered if Bob Mackie drew inspiration for his gowns for Cher from Adrian, namely the gowns that used nude, form fitting fabric and strategically placed sparkling embellishments. @ 7:40. “The Women” is a fantastic vehicle for Adrain’s work. I always wondered why the entire movie wasn’t done in Technicolor rather than just the fashion show. Do you happen to know the reason?

[@MichaelDJ68]

The footage of Adrian sketching is about as long as you see in this video, but comes from a short subject about Adrien and the MGM costume department. There another such short about Edith Head where you see her drawing, but there isn't much. I guess we'd have to ask Bob Mackie, but I think it's pretty obvious that he was influenced by old Hollywood glamour. He was an assistant designer on the Judy Garland TV show, so he actually dressed a lot of classic stars early on and was connected to that world. Not sure about THE WOMEN, except that color was expensive and MGM had a lot of color films released at the same time as THE WOMEN was being made. An executive might have nixed the use of color for that story, but then agreed to the magical fashion show sequence in color. I think it was a good choice to do it that way and makes that sequence special.

[@julietteyork3721]

@@MichaelDJ68 Based on the great job you did with the Adrian documentary, I hope you’ll consider doing more. One designer who did amazing work in such films as Cleopatra, The King and I, Hello Dolly and more is Irene Sharaff. There may already be existing documentaries on her. I haven’t looked yet.

[@OcarinaSapphr-]

2.48-3.05- Damn, that’s a sneak-attack put-down, on two levels! Jean Harlow met Lady Margot Asquith, wife of the British PM- & insisted on addressing her by her first name, a bad enough social offence (in the 30’s) but compounded it by pronouncing the ‘t’ on the end of Margot... eventually tiring of her ignorance & insolence, she finally said, ‘My dear, the ‘t’ is silent- as in Harlow.’

[@bookmouse2719]

Wow

[@acastrohowell]

Beautiful clothes

[@MrRodrigues4]

Very very good review!! I adore Adrian and Travis. Can I make a suggestion? Can you Make a vídeo about Travis?

[@MichaelDJ68]

Travis Banton I assume. Yes, I'll at least look into that idea.

[@accc9090]

Adrian married Gaynor and was never known to have cheated. They also had kids. And stayed married. Vanity Fair magazine did an excellent piece on him many years ago.

[@stuartlee6622]

Ac Cc Ah, but did Janet Gaynor cheat on him--with MARY MARTIN...??

[@glenjones7597]

one kid not kids

[@accc9090]

And? That means what?

[@glenjones7597]

just what I said one kid not kids, a gay man and a lesbian in lavender marriage

[@Muirmaiden]

Glen Jones, Janet Gaynor was married three times; Adrian was her second husband, whom she married AFTER she retired from the screen. After Adrian's death in 1959, she married producer, Paul Gregory, in 1964 and they remained married until her death. Gaynor was romantically involved with her frequent co-star Charles Farrell for a few years before marrying her first husband, an attorney named Jesse Lydell Peck in 1929 (the marriage ended in divorce in 1933). This is backed up by interviews, documentation, etc, rather than rumors and gossip. I'm always surprised how little people know about Janet Gaynor, and how rumors are presented as fact. There was no reason for her to marry three times unless she chose to. Why some people think they know better is beyond me.

[@StarLight-ki4vq]

♥

[@rachelparay1516]

I had always heard his name was ADRIAN ADOLPH GREENBERG not Gilbert Adrian. At the studios he was known just as Adrian which had a fashion brand style name like just Chanel.

[@lillychevalierfox]

hello there. does any of you know hte title of the movie at 1:05?? thanks

[@MichaelDJ68]

At 1:05 is a photograph of Adrian on the set of OUR BLUSHING BRIDES with Joan Crawford.

[@philipbambarger4340]

What Wizard of Oz costumes were at The Met in NYC??

[@MichaelDJ68]

At the Adrien show--yes. Some of them. Also interesting were discarded versions of the Dorothy dress and there were several munchkin costumes. Most of the show was the gowns--a lot from THE WOMEN.

[@philipbambarger4340]

@@MichaelDJ68 Would you happen to have any pictures? Would LOVE to see if so.

[@MichaelDJ68]

@@philipbambarger4340 I didn't snap any. They had a no photo rule and I didn't have a smart phone at that time to be able to sneak one.

[@steveweinstein3222]

When Adrian arrived at the hospital to find that wife Gaynor had had a miscarriage, he blurted out, "Oh, God, you mean we have to do THAT again?"

[@oklahomorose]

Since Gaynor was a lesbian she probably wasn't thrilled about it either.

[@paud9653]

the Philadelphia Story?

[@europamacmillan9498]

Ory Kelly

[@citizen1163]

4 down votes??? 4 Weirdos out there

[@MichaelDJ68]

Ha! You have to wonder what they didn't like about it.

[@debracoleman3952]

Man

[@Fandango541]

Thank you for posting this. A tribute to this talented gay man is long overdue. When people continue to put us down, trample on our rights, and our freedoms, it is important the world remember how much gay men, like Adrian, contributed so much to their dreams, their enjoyment and happiness and the shame they damn well deserve put putting us down. Adrian represents a time in film history that will never exist again.

[@NeighborofKT]

Back when the average woman had one “good dress” for church and 2 or three dresses for everyday, the women in the movies wore a different dress in every scene, wore evening dresses to eat dinner, and always seemed to have a housekeeper.

[@stuartlee6622]

JANET GAYNOR / MARY MARTIN Who knew?

[@Muirmaiden]

Stuart Lee, they were close friends, their husbands traveled with them. There is no evidence that they were ever more than that. Do research instead of relying on gossip.

[@meeeka]

After all, Mary Martin was Larry Hangman’s mother and turkey basters then existed only to baste roast meat.

[@alexandreintouch1847]

do you have a problem with his most famous muse's name ??? JOAN CRAWFORD ....

[@MichaelDJ68]

No. Why do you say that? Perhaps you think I should have dwelled on their relationship, but that wasn't my focus. She is in evidence in the section on THE WOMEN and at 10:11.

[@bobduvar]

Hollywood Femmes Fatales…. the most Dangerous !

[@kathrynlooker8654]

No comment

[@akrenwinkle]

It's pretty naive to think Adrian felt pressured to get married. After all, he was a costume designer. The pressure was on Janet Gaynor, who had begun a decades-long love affair with Mary Martin.

[@rosemaryfranzese317]

Adrian married Janet Gaynor due to Hollywood pressure? That’s but no means certain and he and Janet Gaynor remained married until his death. They also had a son, was that due to Hollywood pressure too. As a costume designer Adrian was not as well known as the stars he designed for and when we remember that Garbo who was bi sexual, a massive star and single and yet wasn’t pressured to marry, why should think Adrian was. It was apparently a happy marriage whatever the circumstances

[@MichaelDJ68]

That fact that he was gay is widely reported and known. The marriage was what used to be called a "lavender marriage." It was another time and I don't fault them for making their lives work in a way that seems to have been congenial.

[@JulianneHannes]

Disney ripped off Adrian with Mary Poppin's red&white dress

[@tomsperduti2967]

Nonsense! You can't talk about Adrian without talking about Joan Crawford they together revolutionized women's fashion.

[@MichaelDJ68]

I didn't totally leave her out, but this wasn't a video about Joan Crawford and she wasn't the only actress on which he lavished his attention either.

[@amyclarke41]

who?

[@kaneda7368]

Adrien Greenberg.

[@kaseythomas9646]

To think, one day you will know how unimportant all this was!

[@MichaelDJ68]

That implies you must think it's all unimportant now and I just haven't realized it? None of it is important, really. It's either interesting to you or it isn't. It's interesting to me, though.

[@JSOMERSETJSOMERSET]

one of those fashion designers who obviously hated women or certainly didn't understand them. his designs buried the female form of which he buried beneath tons of fabrics

[@dwhatsit1]

I'm a woman and I completely disagree with your assessment. He has inspired accents in my own wardrobe! You must have little experience with the history of women's fashion and disregard for costume design to have made such a declaration... Or you must be quite young and inexperienced with the world of fashion!

[@chrisn7259]

Hated women? He put Jean Harlow's gorgeous body in some of the sexiest outfits ever, especially for the thirties. Just because gay men don't want to sleep with women doesn't mean they hate them, quite the contrary. Many like Adrian spend their lives glorifying them.

[@designertjp-utube]

Haha! Look who just learned how to ClickBait. Go back to frames 2:30 and watch Jean Harlow's succulent breasts attempt to spill out into the bedroom. all thanks to *Adrian* !

[@elainerobert702]

This is a very interesting comment to me because I have heard this before. Years ago, I worked for a man, an experienced art critic, who said this same thing. I was a number cruncher and when he made observations like this, I would ask him why, and he would explain. Sometimes, I could see his point and since you are seeing something similar, you may be correct.