80 years later, Oz's magician remains one of fashion -style referents

That first children's play that L. Frank Baum published in 1900 gave rise to a whole series of adaptations to the theater and also to the big screen that scholars have analyzed in depth for the possible possible interpretations of their hidden political messages (it has to own Wikipedia page). From the film we remember his songs, his vivid color (it was one of the achievements of cinema thanks to Technicolor), his endearing performances and also certain iconic elements devised by Adrian that were capable of transcending time.

The costume designer was responsible, for example, for that infamous gingham apron worn by Dorothy, played by Judy Garland, as well as the metallic clothing of the Tin Man or the Scarecrow's tunic. As a curiosity, the clothes of this character were wide enough so that the actor who gave him life, Ray Bolger, could interpret If I Only Had a Brain. A rubber mask completed the outfit: it was so hot on set under the incandescent lights that the mask became stifling and had to be replaced often. Both the Tin Man and Wicked Witch of the West costumes were lost, and others were scattered when MGM put them up for auction in 1970.

More or less literally, fashion has continued to draw inspiration from Dorothy's world for its catwalk proposals. Without going any further, we have spent a couple of seasons witnessing how dresses in the purest Casa de la Pradera style became an object of desire even for celebrities. That delicate and country air fits perfectly with that mythical dress of the protagonist, who lived on a farm in Kansas. However, there have been collections and designers who have taken the mythical film as the main cornerstone of their collections. Virgil Abloh has taken the tile road thing verbatim in 2019: for his Louis Vuitton menswear spring collection, the designer printed several garments with references ranging from Dorothy lying on a bed of poppies (taken from an image promotional film), to the silhouette of the characters following the yellow path that put a message on a metallic poncho.

It was the year 2000 when Moschino had its models parade in pencil skirts with appliqués of a dog very similar to Toto, striped stockings very witchy or hats that simulated oil cans, like the mythical accessory of the Tin Man. . A more subtle version was made by Rodarte in the fall of 2011, with looks that evoked those Dorothy paintings and also the ruby ​​red glow of some of her designs: "We couldn't go to Nebraska and Kansas and not make a reference to the Wizard of Oz," Kate Mulleavy, one of the sisters responsible for the firm, commented in her day. A few years later, in 2014, several fashion creators such as Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan or Betsey Johnson joined creative forces in a collaboration to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the film.

The most imitated (ruby) shoes in movie history

There is a lot of talk about references to Keira Knightley's mythical green dress in Atonement, but there is one fashion piece that has been mentioned until the satiety in the sector are precisely the red glitter shoes that Dorothy receives as a gift from Glinda, the good witch. The last person to wear this nostalgic shoe was Marc Jacobs, who attended the latest VMAs wearing red glitter shoes from Prada. Although they could hardly be seen because the designer wore pants with a seventies air that covered them entirely, there are photos in which they can be seen, in addition to his own Instagram post: "Tonight's teaser. My ruby ​​Prada shoes that I will wear at the VMAs. Always following that tiled path", he commented a few days ago.

Although in Baum's original literary version Dorothy's magical shoes were silver, they decided to change (the work of Adrian and shoemaker Joe Napoli) for red ones. Perfect for a Technicolor movie, it was a more vivid tone that made more contrast against the yellow tiles. Of the four pairs Garland wore for the film, one became the property in 2012 (courtesy in large part of Leonardo DiCarpio, one of his major benefactors) of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Another was part of the private collection of Debbie Reynolds (along with Judy's vichy dress). Another pair is preserved in the National Museum of American History, to which it was donated anonymously in 1979. The base was white, and they were lined with red fabric and sequins of a darker tone, with red soles.

Moschino was, of course, one of the houses that brought the most iconic movie shoes to the runway in the fall of 2000. Valentino did it in the fall 2010 Haute Couture collection, and Hedi Slimane turned to glitter footwear at Saint Laurent's fall 2014 show in various iterations that transitioned from booties to mary-janes. The concept of glitter, and the red bows to the design have been quite inspiring throughout the seasons: without going any further, Prada also released quite similar wedges with a bow in spring 2019. The mentions do not stop happening, from that Keira Knightley immortalized as Dorothy by Annie Leibovitz for the pages of the December 2005 issue of Vogue USA (with Lanvin shoes), going through the reference to Ruth Negga's jewelry at the Oscars of 2017: "Dorothy's ruby ​​shoes, always. The dazzling beauty of those shoes is indelible in memory," the actress confessed on the red carpet.

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