Pick A Decade

Yesterday's post about costume design got me thinking-- if I had to choose a decade that I would like to have lived and experienced in terms of fashion, which would it be?  Would I prefer the cumbersome, yet ornate dresses of the 18th Century as in Milena Canonero's designs for the film, Marie Antoinette?

18th Century dress at the Metropolitan Museum (left) / me on Halloween as Marie Antoinette

Probably not.  I don't know if I could deal with the corsets!  Maybe I would like to be an independent, modern girl of the 1920s...

dress: Jeanne Lanvin, 1927

Photo Credit: Chicago History Museum

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel in 1926

Photo Credit: guardian.co.uk

Nah, I couldn't handle prohibition!  A girl has the right to enjoy a glass of wine or two, doesn't she?  I think I would prefer the Hollywood glamour of the 1930's and 1940's.  Famous costume designer Adrian could be my personal stylist!

  

Designer, Elsa Schiaparelli in the 1930's

Mainbocher, 1936

Photo Credit: by Man Ray from the book Couture by Caroline Rennolds Milbank

Or, I could get groovy in the 1960's by wearing some Andre Courreges.  Yeah, baby!  Maybe I could even put the "grrrr" in swinger.  Take that Austin Powers!

Pierre Cardin, 1968

Photo Credit: AP/Worldwide Photos

1960's aluminum tunic, Paco Rabanne

Well, I missed all of those time periods and I grew up in the fabulous 80's.  Lucky me!

Thierry Mulger (left) and Claude Montana (right), circa 1987

both pictures from my personal archives (i.e. ripped out of Vogue)

Adrian!

In 1985, I bought the most fabulous book titled Couture, by Caroline Rennolds Milbank. The most amazing part of the story is that I picked it up at a thrift shop in York, Pennsylvania. Even though $15 was a lot of money for me at the time, I knew what a tremendous steal it was – imagine how proud I felt years later when I spotted it in FIT’s book store for $85!

Adrian, 1947 - Suit with gingham applique

 I read it cover to cover and learned about the early designers like Charles Frederick Worth, Madame Paquin, Lanvin, Poiret and Fortuny. I discovered names I’d never heard of before and studied them intently. The great costume designer, Adrian, really caught my eye. The cowl/hooded dress with laced up sleeves worn by Joan Crawford was so elegant I wanted to magically step into that page in the book and into Ms. Crawford’s dramatic ensemble…and into Robert Taylor’s arms!

Adrian gown on Joan Crawford for the 1941 film, When Ladies Meet

 Adrian Greenberg was born in Naugatuck, Connecticut on March 3, 1903 – he would be 107 years old today! Adrian attended Parson’s in New York which was called the New York School for Fine and Applied Arts at the time. During his career as Hollywood’s most sought after costume designer in the 1930’s, Adrian worked on at least 100 films including; the Wizard of Oz, Dinner at Eight, the Philadelphia Story, When Ladies Meet, Ana Karenina, Strange Cargo and Love on the Run.

Adrain dress for the 1935 film, No More Ladies

All photo credits: From my book, Couture by Caroline Rennolds Milbank