Ariana Grande’s 72-Year-Old Dress Is From the Man Who Designed Dorothy’s Red Slippers

Ariana Grande is using the The Wicked: For Good press tour to teach a lesson in unexpected vintage fashion sourcing. Last night in London, the actor continued her streak of surprising archival grails with a pair of decades-old looks that departed from the traditional, ultra-feminine Glinda pink.

Stepping out with Cynthia Erivo and the rest of the yellow brick gang, Grande slipped into a dramatic black ball gown from 1952. Designed by Gilbert Adrian, it featured an asymmetric shoulder strap, glittering sequins and pailettes, and a tiered bubble skirt. Grande and her stylist Law Roach sourced the dress, which they paired with a Swarovski necklace and simple hair and makeup, from Lily et Cie.

While others scour runway collections from the past to select their vintage wares, Adrian has a direct and special connection to Wicked lore.

He designed costumes for many Hollywood films between the late 1920s and early ‘50s, with his most famous work coming from, of course, The Wizard of Oz. In fact, the Wicked Witch’s hat that Adrian designed for the 1939 film is heading to the auction block. Though, his best-known work is undoubtedly the original film’s famous ruby red slippers.

Grande’s dress was actually worn in the 1952 film Lovely to Look At, but was in keeping with her penchant for Adrian’s vintage designs. She and Law sourced another dress by the designer for her Wicked: One Wonderful Night performance earlier this month.

Grande had yet another vintage trick up her sleeve for the after party that followed the premiere. Staying true to the ‘50s aesthetic, the actor wore an unnamed vintage demi-couture look from the era. The tulle dress’s simple, yet voluminous, base was elevated thanks to a sheer shawl that was overlaid on the top. There were 3D florals lining the design throughout.

Although the Wicked: For Good press tour is in its early stages, Grande has carved out a very distinctive niche. For starters, she’s favoring a darker, more dramatic color palette that’s largely void of pastels. But there’s also been a clear emphasis on archival dressing, too.

For the film’s Paris premiere, Grande satisfied the fashion heads when she wore an Alexander McQueen for Givenchy dress. She followed that up with a black and dark pink number from Lilli Diamond, an unsung Hollywood costumer in the ‘40s and ‘50s.

Expect the vintage trend to continue as Wicked hits theaters soon and awards season continues to heat up.