Edith Head
(1897-1981)
Edith Head was born on August 28,1897, in San Bernardino, California. In 1923, after a brief career as a school teacher, Head answered an advertisement for a sketch artist at Paramount Studios.
Later, Head occupied the position of assistant designer, and costumed the B-movie players and extras. In 1938, Paramount named Edith Head chief designer; she remained at the studio in that capacity until 1967 and received a contract with Universal Studios that same year. She also published two books: The Dress Doctor (1959) and How to Dress for Success (1967). As head of design for Paramount Pictures, Edith Head was the last great designer to work under contract for a major film studio.
During her fifty-eight-year career, Head received more than one thousand screen credits, won thirty five Oscar nominations, and was granted the Academy Award for costume design an unprecedented eight times. Head was responsible for the on-screen persona of such stars as Mae West, Dorothy Lamour, Bob Hope, Barbara Stanwyck, Ginger Rogers, Olivia de Haviland, Gloria Swanson, Grace Kelly, and Elizabeth Taylor.In 1936, Head's sarong for Dorothy Lamour that became very popular.
Edith Head made herself known for designing beautiful and flattering clothes which the movie goers could easily imagine wearing. Her most influential design by far was the lilac-strewn gown worm by Elizabeth Taylor in A Place in the Sun (1951); a strapless evening dress with a fitted bodice covered with white violets and a skirt made of white tulle over green satin; it was copied throughout the United States. Head is also known for popularizing South American clothes, such as the Spanish "camisa," shirt; the "rebozo," scarf; and the poncho.
One of the greatest American costume and fashion designers of all tim,e and the only woman in history to recieve eight Academy Awards. Edith head died on August 24,1981.
