LOS ANGELES, Jun 11, 2009 / FW/ — With Kristin Cavallari, George Lopez, Debi Mazar, Nestor Carbonell and Shannon Kenny, Lisa Loeb, Ashley Eckstein, Linda Ramone, Amanda Geragos, Blanca Soto, and Jennifer Tisdale gracing the “yellow carpet,” Hollywood stars kicked off The Wizard of Oz Ruby Slipper Collection exhibition at FIDM last June 9th during a private celebration.
Divided into three parts – the Ruby Slippers Collection, The Inspirations of Oz Fine Art Exhibition and My Pretty Collection from Tarina Tarantino, the exhibition is the fruition of an exclusive partnership between Warner Bros Consumer Products and FIDM.
Visitors to the exhibit will see The Ruby Slipper Collection which consists of modern interpretations of the classic Ruby Slippers, as created by noted names in designer footwear and fashion.
Debuted in September 2008 at Saks Fifth Avenue to kick off Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City, designs from 19 of the fashion industry’s masterminds are featured in the Collection, including: A. Testoni, Abaete, Alberta Ferretti, Betsey Johnson, Botkier, Christian Louboutin, Diane von Furstenberg, Giuseppe Zanotti, Jimmy Choo, L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani, Lisa Pliner, Manolo Blahnik, Moschino, Oscar de la Renta, Roger Vivier, Sergio Rossi, Stuart Weitzman, Tibi and Tuleh.
The Ruby Slipper Collection, in its entirety, will be auctioned off in September 2009 to benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
They will also view The Inspirations of Oz collection of fine art that features one-of-a-kind interpretive works from an acclaimed array of artisans including Angelo Aversa, Romero Britto, Phillip Graffham, Gris Grimly, Marcus Antonius Jansen, Johnny Johns, William Joyce, Joel Nakamura, Nelson De La Nuez, Glen Orbik, Ragnar, Alex Ross, Todd White and Yakovetic.
Additionally, the exhibition features a sneak peek of Warner Home Video’s upcoming limited-edition gift sets, works of art in their own right, that pay homage to the beloved film. The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Editions, restored in high definition on Blu-ray and DVD, will see the film looking more colorful and more magical than ever.
As part the exclusive partnership between Warner Bros Consumer Products and FIDM, a design contest was also held to challenge FIDM students to create the best modern interpretation of Dorothy’s iconic Ruby Slippers, as well as develop a jewelry collection inspired by the timeless film.
Renowned accessories designer Tarina Tarantino and famed FIDM alumnus Nick Verreos (“Project Runway”) mentored the FIDM students during the design competition.
Working with three major FIDM design disciplines, including Footwear, Fashion and Accessories (jewelry), student designers were given limited time to submit their Wizard of Oz-inspired work for each category. A panel of fashion experts was tapped to judge the students’ footwear and jewelry and to select one lucky winner from each of these categories.
The winning design in the Footwear category will be added to The Ruby Slipper Collection, and its creator, Kaddie Lam, will be flown to New York City for The Wizard of Oz Gala Event this fall.
The winning student designer in the Accessories category, Francesca Keese, will also be flown to New York for the fall event.
The Fashion component took place within FIDM’s SuperLab, a design hub within the school’s program, and four FIDM alumni were selected to create a piece based on characters from the film, including Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. These designs are being showcased at the FIDM Museum & Galleries during The Wizard of Oz Exhibition run.
The Ruby Slipper Collection and The Inspirations of Oz Fine Art Exhibition at FIDM Museum & Galleries at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising consists of 2000 square feet of gallery space, and is located at 919 S. Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. The Exhibition is open to the general public and runs daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., June 10 – 21.
The Wizard of Oz merchandise and collectibles, including dolls, games, apparel, accessories, novelties and much more is available at specialty retailers. Select product information can be found at www.thewizardofozshop.com
Wizard of Oz Exhibition at the FIDM Museum Los Angeles Jun 10 – 21
