The Style of Edith Head
Edith Head - One of the Most Recognizable Names in Costume Design
Even if you don't recognize her by name, chances are, you'll know her fashions. Edith Head won eight Oscars and was nominated for the statue a total of 34 times.
Many of Hollywood's most legendary actresses requested her by name and over her career, she won more Oscars than any other woman in history. Here's a look at the style of Edith Head.
The Ten Commandments
Edith designed the costumes for the Cecil B. Demille film, "The Ten Commandments." Nominated for an Oscar for the costumes, Edith was able to capture the elegance of Egyptian style of the era with the costumes she designed for Anne Baxter.
The Ten Commandments on DVD
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All About Eve
Remember this dress? Bette Davis wore this number in the film, "All About Eve."
The dress was designed by Edith Head and later, Edith would win an Oscar for Costume Design for All About Eve.
Roman Holiday
Edith Head designed Audrey Hepburn's costumes for Roman Holiday and, as a result, won the Oscar that year for her work.
Edith would later take credit for designing Audrey's wardrobe in Sabrina even though she didn't personally design her wardrobe and, instead, chose her clothing.
Roman Holiday on DVD
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The Great Sabrina Debate
On many sites and even on the film's credits, you'll see Edith Head credited for the costume design of Sabrina. In fact, not only did she receive credit for the designs, she also took home an Oscar for them.
Sabrina's gowns, once she arrived home from Paris, were designed by Hubert de Givenchy. Initially, Head was to be credited beside Givenchy. However, Edith wouldn't have her name displayed beside Givenchy's and so Givenchy's name was removed from the credits and Edith Head was given sole credit for the costume design on Sabrina.
Later, Head was nominated for an Oscar for Sabrina's costume design and won the award. Givenchy would go on to become one of Audrey's primary fashion designers and is given most of the credit for the style that she has inspired.
Comments
Thanks!
So, who designed that dress in Audrey Hepburn/Sabrina photo? Givenchy or Head? Nice hub about a famous woman 'behind the scenes' of the movie industry.
It's been months...but stopped by to see who'd been commenting on this column...a shame, I think, that more haven't stopped by and added to the Edith Head love-fest, and/or controversy. Hope all going well with you as new year 2009 gets underway!
My Mother was June Van Dyke, she was Edith's producer for her traveling fashion shows. The story Edith told in regard to Sabrina was that Givenchy did offer some designs for Hepburns gowns, however Edith took the designs into consideration and created her own versions of the gowns, in particular the black 'cocktail' dress. Underneath this dress was a petticoat that had been hand sewn by nuns in a French Monastery with over 200 individual panels, it was beautiful and seldom seen other than in the traveling shows. When Edith passed away my Mother inheirited her costume collectiion of over 200 costumes, including personal gowns and sketches.
That's amazing, RVD. Thank you for sharing that.
I am looking for the wardrobe of Donna Butterworth in Family Jewels with Jerry Lewis. I would like to see photos and info. on the little girls outfits.
Thanks
Agatha
Edith did not design any of the gowns on Audrey. It is an embarrassment that anyone would believe this false tale.
@ RVDMIXER
Thanks for sharing! I have a question. The long dress that Kim Novak wears in her first scene in "Vertigo" photographs in the film as if it were all black, with an emerald color reserved for the evening stole worn with it. (You only see the skirt briefly, and the actress is moving through shadow.) Yet in the AMC documentary about the restoration of that film, your mother shows the costume, and the skirt is emerald green, with a black bodice. Is this the original color scheme of the dress, or was the skirt of the dress shown in the documentary replaced at some point? Best wishes!
@RVDMixer, can you tell me where the collection of Edith Head costumes is now? Is it in a museum or still in a private collection?
Cheers
I loved the blue dress in The Ten Commandments!
Patty Inglish, MS 4 years ago
Very nice Hub!