Recently the original playwright of GYPSY,ARTHUR LAURENTS, passed away, which made me want to do a post on the film because it's really a gorgeous fun musical. (Laurents also wrote West Side Story, another one of my favorites starring Natalie Wood.) I know not everyone can handle a musical, but in my home we grew up with them...we grew up with all kinds of old movies. And, to this day, my brother and I are uber movie buffs. Gypsy is one of those must-see films if you are into costume design or costume history because it's so gorgeous that way. And of course with Natalie Wood (I already mentioned she is in many of my all-time fave movies) and Rosalind Russell (who always ends up wearing the most amazing get-ups in her films), it's a good film to watch. It's also a sort-of doc about the real burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee, which you can see real film of below. The costumes are credited to one Orry-Kelly. (If you love vintage, you might have come across an old debutante dress with his label on it.)
EVENING GOWNS BY ORRY-KELLY
After painting murals in a nightclub, Orry George Kelly (his birth name) was discovered and started to work at Fox East Coast studios, then ended up moving to Hollywood (1932) where he worked for the first Warner Bros. studios and then all the other greats like RKO, Universal and MGM. He, like Edith Head, designed for all the great actresses. And when you see Natalie Wood's costumes in this, you'll see why he was so revered. Everyone always goes on and on about the big designers of Haute Couture and Pret-a-Porter. But a lot of the styles came from these big-time Hollywood film costume designers. It's why I think so many people miss out on the references...like, I see a ton of old movies in almost all of Marc Jacobs' collections. I can look at some of my shoes and name the film that it was influenced by....stuff like that. Also interesting, Howard Shoup isn't credited in the film, but he is credited on IMDB as one of the costume designers, so I'll have to research that a bit more.
ORRY-KELLY WITH KAY FRANCIS AND HIS SKETCHES. AMAZING.
Orry-Kelly was nominated for an Oscar for Costume Design for Gypsy. He also won three Oscars in Costume Design for three other films (Some Like It Hot, Les Girls and An American in Paris...all amazing films), which is also why if you're into fashion or aspire to work in fashion that you ought to know who he is. If you have some time to absorb it, on a rainy day when you're tired and you need something light-hearted to watch with fantastic costumes as well as a bit of real-life story, or you love burlesque, have some tea and watch GYPSY.♡
really gorgeous everything...including the set.
natalie wood has the most amazing figure....like shirley maclaine's.
can you see the beginnings of what britney (spears) wore many many many years later? can you see how similar it is?
what she's wearing in this scene is a ma zing.
with rosalind russell, whom i also love love to watch.
gorgeous period/stage costumes.
gorgeous film still from gypsy
i wish i could have found more images of her other costumes...but you'll just have to watch the movie!
THE ORIGINAL GYPSY ROSE LEE BELOW:
AND GYPSY ROSE LEE PERFORMING IN THE MOST AMAZING OUTFIT:
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