Adrian Retrospective
May 17, 1971


FIT’s 1971 retrospective on Hollywood costume and fashion designer Gilbert Adrian was not an exhibition — it was a live runway show. Organized to raise money for student scholarships, it featured more than 200 garments borrowed from private lenders and institutions across the US.

Upon hearing about the event, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer unearthed movie costumes that Adrian had designed for stars like Joan Crawford and Greta Garbo — and donated them to The Design Laboratory at FIT.

By Colleen Hill, 2019
[Exhibitionism (2019) Label Text]

Adrian, The Magnificent
A parade of Adrian costumes for Crawford, Garbo, Gaynor, Harlow, Hepburn, MacDonald, Shearer and his high drama fashions for the American Woman – at the Fashion Institute of Technology, evening of May 17, 1971. Adrian, The Magnificent – is the spectacular of the educational foundation for the fashion industries’ annual supper-dance. Mark May 17, 1971, on your calendar now.

Organized by Robert Riley
[Exhibition Poster Text]