Title: Gowns by Adrian : the MGM years, 1928-1941 /
Authors: Gutner, Howard
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams,
Year: 2001
Subjects: Adrian, Gilbert.; Adrian,; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Employees Biography.; Costume designers United States Biography.; Costume design History; Motion picture actors and actresses Costume.; Fashion in motion pictures.; Costume.
Abstract: From the moment he arrived at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Gilbert Adrian established himself as a Hollywood fashion force. Believing that costume can mirror a character's mood, he transformed his leading ladies into icons of style. Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow and many others relied on Adrian to help them interpret their roles and make them glamorous. This illustrated volume, the result of 10 years' research, including celebrity interviews and access to MGM files, traces Adrian's career at the studio and his influence on American fashion. It features photographs from classic films such as "Grand Hotel", "Queen Christina", "The Women" and "The Philadelphia Story", as well as costume sketches and a step-by-step rendering of a dress for Garbo.
Contents: A predilection for design -- Going Hollywood -- A studio takes shape: MGM 1924-1928 -- The advent of Adrian at MGM -- A new beginning: 1929-1930 -- The spectacle films: "Stepping into a dream" -- Greta Garbo: expecting the unexpected -- Joan Crawford: the most copied girl in the world -- Shearer chic -- Putting it all together: Adrian and the women -- End of an era: 1940-1941.