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In 1938, Head was named the
                                         chief costume designer at Paramount,
                                         the first woman to head a design
                                         department at a major studio, where
                                         she oversaw a costume department
                                         with a staff of hundreds. It is said
                                         Head managed to survive more
                                         through her ability to please quixotic
                                         directors and stars than for her design
                                         creativity, a distinction that even she
                                         acknowledged.  She referred to it as
                                         “temperament.” “You have to have the
                                         patience of Job,” she once said about
                                         her job. ‘‘That’s why I’ve been around
                                         so long.’’ If her mentors taught her
                                         anything, it was how crucial it was to
                                         establish a rapport between the star        Edith Head was vocal in her dislike of ‘60s fashions like miniskirts,
                                         and the designer.                          but she offered a mod spin on the era’s fashions for 1970 Best Picture
                                            Over the years, she worked her              nominee Airport and earned an Oscar nomination herself.
                                         magic on such stars as Clara Bow, Mae
                                         West, Joan Crawford, Barbara         And the Oscar goes to…
            Dorothy Lamour in The Jungle   Stanwyck, Ann Sheridan, Veronica
                Princess, Paramount      Lake, Olivia de Haviland, Marlene       In 1948, when the Academy introduced an Award for Best Costume
                                         Dietrich, Grace Kelly, and Elizabeth   Design, Head became famous worldwide, going on to dominate the
            Taylor. She had a keen knack for visually trans-                                       category in the coming decades of her career
            forming these actresses into whatever screen guise                                     with a record eight Academy Awards for Best
            was required, whether in a period drama such as                                        Costume Design and 35 nominations, making
            The Heiress, for which she won her first Academy                                       her the most awarded woman in the Academy’s
            Award, or an adventure film such as  To Catch a                                        history. Head was extremely proud of these
            Thief. “There isn’t anyone I can’t make over,” she                                     recognitions and was known to refer to her eight
            pronounced. And her loyal clientele also knew, as                                      Oscars as “my children.”
            Lucille Ball once put it, that “Edith doesn’t tell.”                                      Head received her first Academy Award in
            Of the times Head wrote, “Then, a designer was as                                      1949 for The Heiress, which was followed with
            important as a star. Dress was part of the selling of                                  awards for films that have become a part of
            a picture.”                                                                            Hollywood legend, including  Samson and
               Head worked at Paramount for 44 years. In                                           Delilah, All About Eve, A Place in the Sun,
            1967, the new parent company of Paramount                                              Roman Holiday, Sabrina, and The Facts of Life.
            declined to renew her contract and she was invited                                        After leaving Paramount, Head earned her
            by Alfred Hitchcock to join Universal Pictures,                                        eighth and final Academy Award while at
            where she continued adding to her illustrious career                                   Universal for her work on The Sting in 1973. Of
            resume. She remained at Universal until her death                                      the award for The Sting, Head, who is said to
            in 1981 despite working on outside projects.                                           have preferred designing for men, remarked



                                                                            Above, Edith Head with
                                                                               her eight Oscars


















                                                Hedy Lamarr
                                                in the final
                                                interpretation of
                                                her costume in
                                                her role as
                                                Delilah.
         Audrey Hepburn “Jo Stockton” Costume Sketch
          by Edith Head for Funny Face (Paramount,                                                           Grace Kelly “Lisa Fremont” Costume Sketch by
            1957). Vintage original costume sketch                                                            Edith Head for Rear Window (Paramount,
           accomplished in gouache and ink on 14” x                                                             1954). Vintage original costume sketch,
         16.75” artist’s paper leaf by legendary costume                                                      gouache and ink on 14” x 16.75” paper, by
         designer Edith Head. Designed for fashion icon                                                            costume designer Edith Head.
        Hepburn, there were multiple variations worn by   Hedy Lamarr’s “Delilah” costume and sketch by Edith Head for Samson and   Worn by Grace Kelly in the classic Alfred
          six actresses during the fabulous “Think Pink”   Delilah (Paramount, 1949). Vintage original costume sketch,   Hitchcock thriller. This drawing sold for
        segment. Edith was again nominated for the “Best   gouache and ink on 13.75” x 16.75” paper, by costume designer Edith Head.   $21,250 at Heritage auctions in July 2022.
          Costume Design” Oscar. This sketch sold for   Iconic peacock gown worn by Lamarr in the Cecil B. DeMille epic. The film
           $6,250 at Heritage Auctions in July 2022.  earned Edith one of her 8 Oscars for “Best Costume Design.” This drawing                                  March 202 3              23
                                                          sold for $6,250 at Heritage auctions in July 2022.
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