Adrian

(1903-1959). American designer. Born in Connecticut, Gilbert Adrian Greenburgh was undoubtedly the greatest costume designer of the American cinema’s golden age. He studied art at Parson’s School of Design and in Paris before designing costumes for the theater in New York in the 1920s. His work was discovered by Natasha Rambova, wife of Rudolph Valentino, which led to his first major Hollywood assignment designing costumes for Valentino’s film Cobra (1925). He became head designer for Metro Goldwyn Mayer from 1928-1939. Adrian was famous for transforming the look of many Hollywood stars: asked to minimize Joan Crawford’s muscled shoulders, he did just the opposite, creating the padded look that has signified powerful women throughout the past century. Other costumes he designed for Crawford include the white organdie dress she wore in Letty Lynton (1932), and the graphic black dress with white neck and cuffs she wore in Grand Hotel (1932). Adrian also turned his magic touch to Greta Garbo, imbuing her with a drama and mystery that added to her stardom. Though her costumes in Mata Hari (1932) might have bordered on kitsch, the detail of the historic films is flawless, among them Anna Karenina (1935), where he showed off his flair in transforming military uniforms, Camille (1936) and Queen Christina (1933). His mastery of understated glamour was typified in Jean Harlow’s bias-cut white satin evening dresses in Dinner at Eight (1933). The arrival of Technicolor, with its pastel colors and brightly cheery shades, made Adrian’s purist aesthetic vision obsolete. In 1939 he left Metro Goldwyn Mayer and opened his own couture salon. Sporadically he returned to create for the stage. He died of a heart attack at 57. His boldly modern style, the aggressive proportions, the dramatic and futurist use of black and white continue to inspire fashion designers today.