The “Wicked: For Good” press tour is already shaping up to be a fascinating one.
Ariana Grande pulled a piece of film history from the archives for her latest fashion moment, posing in a rare 1940s dress created by legendary MGM costume designer Gilbert Adrian for 1939’s The Wizard of Oz.
The pop star’s stylist Law Roach shared a black-and-white photo on Instagram on Sunday, gushed: “And then this happened…Ali wore Adrian! Just a piece of Hollywood history.”
Often credited on screen as “Adrian’s Gown,” Adrian was MGM’s chief costume designer from 1928 to 1941. But it was his work on Oz that cemented his status as a costume design icon.
“Dorothy’s gingham dress and ruby slippers, Glinda’s exaggerated pink dress, and the Wicked Witch of the West’s endless black train are all Adrian originals that forever changed film and fashion history,” Roach wrote in the caption.
After leaving MGM in 1941, Adrian started his own fashion house, Gowns by Adrian. “His vision for this line maintained the elements of the work he was known for: bold shoulders, striking silhouettes, and expert tailoring,” the stylist continued.
Grande’s dress, which sells for $15,000 on luxury vintage marketplace 1stDibs, features a dramatic “winged” capelet on the back and small rhinestones adorning the fabric, creating a subtle sparkle effect.
Many of Adrian’s works are currently exhibited in museums around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Her mother, Joan Grande, was moved by the fashion moment, commenting on Roach’s post: “Breathtaking in every way!! The amazing person wearing it, the meaning behind the dress, the amazing stylist who is thoughtful and precise and respects the meaning of each moment…and the amazingness of the dress and the designer.”
“She is pure magic. Ariana is the woman you are. Looking at you in this dress is just amazing,” one person wrote.
“So iconic! 💖 Thank you for giving us the Gilbert Adrian moment we needed.”
A third person predicted, “Oh, I’ll probably be on the floor at this press tour, too.”
Roach, who famously “retired” from the styling industry in March 2023 to focus on more selective projects, worked for her from 2015 until 2020, when Grande hired celebrity stylist Mimi Cutrell.
But in recent months, Roach has gotten back behind the wheel, styling Grande in archival Elie Saab to kick off the Wicked: For Good press tour and customizing a polka-dotted Fendi on the VMAs red carpet.
The first part of the two-part Wicked film was released in theaters on November 22, 2024, grossing over $756 million worldwide and earning Grande her first Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.
With Wicked: For Good set to hit theaters on November 21st, Grande and Roach are hard at work on what promises to be another magical fashion extravaganza.
