Edith Head: Hollywood's First Woman Fashion Designer
The 1930s ushered in the Golden Age of Hollywood when new technological advances brought lighting, photography, and sound to a new level of excellence. Along with these technical advances, wardrobe departments of major motion picture studios were busy as costume designers, with the assistance of skilled seamstresses, milliners, and tailors, produced stunning garments for glamorous movie stars. During the 1930s and 1940s the field of costume design was dominated by men. But, that didn’t stop Edith Head, who would become one of Hollywood’s most prolific designers, working on more than 500 films, a record for a career such as hers.
One thing that separated Edith from her colleagues was that she was making clothes to suit a character; for her, the character always came first. (Head, Forward) It was Edith’s belief that only after an actor stepped into his costume that he truly became the character. If the clothes did not help in the projection of the character, then the designer had failed to do his or her job. Edith took this part of her work seriously and read the script carefully in order to make the character look as good or bad as possible. Due to this attention to detail, Edith Head’s films include some of the best motion pictures ever made. In 1948, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences added a category to recognize costume design as integral to the success of movies, and for her work, Edith Head received thirty five nominations and eight Oscars. “Just another remarkable testament to her long and outstanding career” as Bette Davis said in her forward to Edith’s book Edith Head’s
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Hollywood “Edith’s life is a tale filled with humor, frustration, and above all, glamour.” Edith was involved with moviemaking for fiftyeight years and during those years she dressed the famous and helped shape the Hollywood of today. She was famous for her tinted eyeglasses and her suits, but once on the set, Edith was only concerned that every costume work as she
One thing that separated Edith from her colleagues was that she was making clothes to suit a character; for her, the character always came first. (Head, Forward) It was Edith’s belief that only after an actor stepped into his costume that he truly became the character. If the clothes did not help in the projection of the character, then the designer had failed to do his or her job. Edith took this part of her work seriously and read the script carefully in order to make the character look as good or bad as possible. Due to this attention to detail, Edith Head’s films include some of the best motion pictures ever made. In 1948, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences added a category to recognize costume design as integral to the success of movies, and for her work, Edith Head received thirty five nominations and eight Oscars. “Just another remarkable testament to her long and outstanding career” as Bette Davis said in her forward to Edith’s book Edith Head’s
1
Hollywood “Edith’s life is a tale filled with humor, frustration, and above all, glamour.” Edith was involved with moviemaking for fiftyeight years and during those years she dressed the famous and helped shape the Hollywood of today. She was famous for her tinted eyeglasses and her suits, but once on the set, Edith was only concerned that every costume work as she