Adrian Adolph Greenburg

The Architect of Hollywood Glamour

Clothes are the frame that makes the picture.
— Adrian

Adrian Adolph Greenburg, known professionally as Adrian, transformed the look of Hollywood in the 1930s and 40s. His costume designs defined the visual language of classic American cinema. While not a director or cinematographer, Adrian’s artistry told stories through fabric, form, and style. His work has had an undeniable impact on the world of film and theatre.

Clothes are the frame that makes the picture.
— Adrian

Two of his most iconic films; The Wizard of Oz (1939) and The Women (1939) showcase his incredible sense of style. Each reveal how he used clothing not just to create visual interest, but as a language of expression and storytelling, a concept film scholar Karen R. Perlman calls “embodiment through adornment” (Perlman, 2023).