Kelly Osbourne Goes To "Oz"

By Jessica Derschowitz

Dorothy has once again gone over the rainbow. But this time, the Land of Oz is in Los Angeles, rocker Kelly Osbourne is a good witch and characters walk down the Yellow Brick Road decked out from head to (ruby-slippered) toe in bold adornments.

Accessories designer Tarina Tarantino, who is known for her sparkly creations inspired by Hello Kitty and "Alice in Wonderland," envisioned the reinvention of the "The Wizard of Oz" as part of a collaboration with Warner Brothers to celebrate the classic film's 70th anniversary. That vision then was brought to life in a 52-page collectors book called "My Pretty," centered around her Oz-themed collection, starring Kelly Osbourne as Glinda the Good Witch and "Entourage" star Debi Mazar as the Wicked Witch of the West.

"It's a modern interpretation of the story set in downtown Los Angeles," Tarantino says of the book. In it, Glinda is disguised as Dorothy's kind next-door neighbor, while the Wicked Witch is her wicked (though glamorous) landlady. Model Holly Owens took on the role of Dorothy for the book, which was shot on location in Los Angeles and photographed by Albert Sanchez.

Working with Osbourne and Mazar was "such a dream," Tarrantino said. And even though Osbourne is typically thought of as the daughter of the hard-rocking Prince of Darkness, she still fit the bill for Tarrantino's vision of the good witch.

"When you think of Glinda, innocence comes to mind," she explained. "And Kelly has that sweet look to her, but she also has that rock-n-roll aspect…there's that duality in both the jewelry and the witches."

The designer also said that Mazar was "phenomenal."

"We wanted the Wicked Witch to be glamorous, and she embodied that perfectly," Tarantino said. "She portrayed her so well."

From the Munchkins to the flying monkeys, Tarantino's jewelry is the funky twist that helps tell the story.

Osbourne embodied Glinda in jewels of peach and pink, while pieces in black, burgundy and emerald were used to transform Mazar into the Wicked Witch. Dorothy's jewelry is rainbow-themed, including inspiration from those necessary ruby-red slippers.

Other Oz-ians who make appearances are the Scarecrow (appropriately wearing brown, earthy-looking pieces), the Flying Monkeys (sporting bejeweled talons) and Tarantino herself, as the pink-haired, wizard-as-DJ behind the emerald curtain.

"It's one of my favorite movies," Tarantino said of "The Wizard of Oz," adding that the Wicked Witch of the West is her favorite character from the film. "She always had the best lines, [like] 'How dare you destroy my beautiful wickedness!'"

The "My Pretty" book is for sale on Tarantino's Web site, and the collections featured in it will be available in stores beginning in August.
By Jessica Derschowitz