In an article on The Oklahoma Journal published on 14th March 1971 fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert stated that Adrian had "turned Joan Crawford's extrabroad shoulders, large head and large mouth into a fashion identity not only for her, but for the whole late 30s generation".
She was definitely right, but should you need the final confirmation of this statement, compare some of her costumes (or some of Adrian's ready-to-wear creations) to the designs advertised in magazines and catalogues from those times.
For example this Spring 1934 catalogue cover for John Falconer, an Aberdeen department store selling fashionable womenswear, features two ladies in sharp skirt suits characterised by a geometrical precision and with decorative elements created by strategically placed functional buttons.
These precise details call to mind Adrian's suits currently included in "The Art of Tailoring" exhibition that juxtaposes Adrian and Alaïa’s designs, currently on at the Association Azzedine Alaïa in Paris. John Falconer's catalogue proves that the popularity of Hollywood and Adrian went beyond America. Images from John Falconer are held within the House of Fraser collection at the University of Glasgow archive, and you can check a selection of 20th century colour illustrations from John Falconer's catalogues at this link.
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