A SONG, A CITY, A DRESS AND A LEGEND

Most iconic movies have an iconic star in an iconic dress. Jeanette MacDonald shines in MGM's spectacular movie San Francisco with Clark Gable as she sings her heart out wearing an Adrian custom made pink chiffon gown with maribou feathers. Jeanette MacDonald was a famous American soprano in the 20's and 30's and with her fiery ginger hair and pale pink gown she made such a big impression singing San Francisco in the movie with the same title, that now the song is the official song of the city. 

You don't have to be from San Francisco to want this dress, you don't have to be a fan of Jeanette MacDonald (we will never understand why, but we promise no judgement) but if you want to own a piece of American fashion and film history, this is the dress for you. The dress is quite stunning and feminine in a very light embroidered chiffon and soft maribou feathers. The inside label notes that this is the third look designed by Adrian for Ms. MacDonald for the movie. 

-Eri 

Adrian custom made gown in pink chiffon with maribou feathers and embroidery, 1936. Modern size 2 SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-1960. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing.

OH Adrian!

Adrian (pictured above) was a costume designer for MGM during the 30's, 40's, and 50's. He designed gowns for stars such as Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford and most famously the Wizard of Oz. Below is a dress that channels the iconic and immediately recognizable style of Joan Crawford. The signature look that Adrian created for Ms. Crawford were the large shoulder pads that became very prominent in all of her looks.

The dress below is a heavyweight black satin with an emerald green and black satin waist tie. The crew neck opens between two padded shoulders that have been lined with with satin covered buttons. The padded shoulders drop off and melt into the high waist. Just below the waist are three pleats that radiate from either side of the central line down the middle of the dress. On either hip are extra flaps of fabric that can only be described as reverse pockets (very Joan Crawford). There is a fishtail slip in the front of the dress that comes up about a foot from the floor. This is a classic and extremely iconic look that will never go out of fashion.

Adrian black satin "Crawford" style dress with green and black tie, c.1940. Contemporary size 4- small 6.

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting.

If it's good enough for Joan . . .

It is good enough for you! This dress is an Adrian. If you are not familiar with Adrian, click here. If you simply can't be bothered to do your fashion homework, the quick and dirty version is as follows: Adrian is as Hollywood as they come, he was a costume designer for MGM from the 20's to the 50's and designed for over 200 films. The most famous of these films was The Wizard of Oz. He is also credited with creating the Joan Crawford "Look." He inspired the exaggerated shoulder pad silhouette in the 40s that was reinterpreted in the 80s. Today the silhoutte is experiencing another renaissance and has been referenced in the Balenciaga collection.

Now that you have learned the history of Adrian, we will delve into discussing the dress at hand. It is made of ivory crepe, and has amazing iridescent beading in a floral pattern (very 40's). The neck is a halter top with a high V, and ruching around the top of the zipper. The bottom of the dress has a dropped bustle effect that is very unusual and absolutely gorgeous!

Adrian white crepe halter dress with iridescent embroidery, c.1940. Contemporary size 4. SOLD

For additional information, please email blog@decadesinc.com or call + 1 323 655-0223. You may also visit us in person at Decades 8214 1/2 Melrose Avenue (2nd Floor) at Harper Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Please reference the description above, if calling or emailing. For email requests, kindly include your full name and phone number plus City, State, and Country from which you are contacting.