Monday Muse: Edith Head

The fabulous Ms. Edith Head was as American costume designer who won more Academy Awards than any other woman in history (won 8, nominated for 35).  Head received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Letters and Sciences with Honors in French from the University of California Berkeley in 1919.  She then received her Masters Degree in Romance Languages from Stanford University in 1920.  Head became a language teacher in La Jolla.  In wanting a higher salary she told the school that she was also a qualified art teacher.  Head began taking evening classes to improve her drawing skills.  In 1924 despite her lack of experience in art and costume design (in fact she borrowed drawings for the interview) she was hired as a costume sketch artist at Paramount Pictures.  She began designing for silent films in 1925.  By 1930 Head was established as one of Hollywood's hottest costume designers.  Head worked at Paramount for 43 years until 1967, when she moved to Universal. Head was known for her ability to work with even the most impossible personalities (she was one of Alfred Hitchcock's favorites). Head also became a trusted collaborator, as she consistently and extensively listened to the preferences and opinions of the female starlets she was dressing.  Head designed for some of the biggest female stars of the 40's and 50's: Grace Kelly (Rear Window), Audrey Hepburn (Roman Holiday, Sabrina), Shirley MacLaine, Elizabeth Taylor, Natalie Wood, Ginger Rogers and Bette Davis. Edith Head's name is now synonymous with Classic American Cinema   (Sunset Boulevard, Breakfast At Tiffanys, The Birds).  She was a pioneer for women in the film industry and inspired trust in everyone who knew her.  Having worked in the costume industry, Edith Head is an easy person to look up to.  However, her personal style can be a lesson to us all, she had true signature, wearing her famous sunglasses  day or night, indoor or outdoor.  To know more about her, I highly recommend her books:  How to Dress for Success and The Dress Doctor.
www.amazon.com/Edith-Head/e/B001HD0BXK

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