FIDM & Warner Brothers™ Celebrate
Wizard of Oz Anniversary with Gala Event

“Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore.
We’re at FIDM.”

To celebrate the 70th Anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, the FIDM Museum & Galleries recently teamed with Warner Brothers™ to host an exhibition of the Ruby Slipper Collection – a reimagining of Dorothy’s ruby red slippers by 19 international footwear and fashion icons including Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, and Christian Louboutin. The opening night party was a smash, with celebrities Debi Mazar, Nestor Carbonell, George Lopez, and Kristin Kavallari following the “yellow brick” carpet.

FIDM Footwear Design Students also got in the act, as they were given the chance to create their own updates of the ruby red slippers. The winner of this challenge was Kaddie Lam, who wowed the judges with such brilliant touches as a tornado–inspired corkscrew high heel. Her winning design was produced and traveled with the other 19 creations in the collection, all of which were auctioned off to benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Also joining the festivities were FIDM Jewelry Design Students, who created Oz–inspired jewelry under the guidance of famed designer Tarina Tarantino. ’I was really excited because I love working with students, being around students, and any way I can mentor students,“ she said. ”I love to do that because I didn’t have that when I started.“ The winning design was an asymmetrical necklace by FIDM Student Francesca Keezeh featuring poppies with jeweled centers.

And no celebration is complete without fashions for the occasion. Four FIDM Fashion Design Alumni were asked to create designs based on Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. Project Runway star Nick Verreos, a graduate of FIDM and a current FIDM Instructor, mentored the designers for this unique challenge, helping them bring life to wonderful ideas that were not only out of the box, but over the rainbow.