Scores of iconic films of the last century had one thing in common. Long before rachel zoe, andrea leibermann, estee stanley, and nicole chavez were styling hollywood celebrities, eighttime oscar awardwinning edith head was the sartorial sensation behind the silver screens most highprofile stars and starlets. Beginning in the early 1930s until her retirement in 1977, edith head costumed the stars of over 500 films. Edith head 18971981, a doyenne of motionpicture costume, was famous for her remarkable career that spanned fifty years and earned her eight academy. Edith head 18971981 is indisputably the most famous costume designer of all time. The design above is for miss lamour in aloma of the south seas 1941. Frances farmer in rhythm on the range, 1936, and ebb tide, 1937. Heads idea of a welldressed woman clearly goes with that of her time e. Academy award winning designer edith head was the grand dame of hollywood glamour. The fiftyyear career of hollywoods greatest costume designer by jorgensen, jay available in hardcover on, also.
Edith head told the press that hepburn had, a lovely, audible face, and expressive body and the slimmest waist since the civil war nineteen and a half inches. How to dress for success by edith head, hardcover barnes. However, edith head is no runofthemill hollywood costumer. Edith heads hollywood goes where the dress doctor failed to by giving readers a more in depth look into the woman behind the enigmatic designer. Head also authored two books, the dress doctor 1959 and how to dress for success 1967, describing her career and design philosophy. This unprecedented access allows this book to be a oneofakind.
Even she lost track of how many films shed worked on. We deliver the joy of reading in 100% recycled packaging with free standard shipping on u. In 1959, she published a bestselling memoir and style guide, the dress doctor, in which she also shared dozens of entertaining anecdotes about hollywoods alist with her fans. How to dress for success by edith head, joe hyams alibris. Edith heads hollywood hardcover october 25, 1983 by edith head author. Kathryn dixon edith head is probably the most iconic of all hollywood costume designers. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Edith head is legendary in hollywood history and this book on her life and work is long overdue. Through six decades of hollywood fashion, edith head dressed the screens bestdietrich, lombard, the hepburns, hope and crosby, grace kelly and elvis presley, to name a few. Celebrating a quartercentury since its initial release, edith heads hollywood is reissued in trade paper, complete with an expanded photo section featuring the best work of the worlds most famous costume designer.
A selection of illustrations by designer edith head, from the 1967 random house edition of her book how to dress for success. How costume designer edith head changed the look of. Which is why the perfect person to solve a behindthescenes mystery in the golden age of hollywood is legendary costume designer edith head. Edith heads own costume sketches silver screen modes. This book also dispells various rumors about edith and gets behind the truth to several false claims and accusations some by edith herself. The independent uk, 10410 theres fierce, and theres edith head. Edith head, american motionpicture costume designer.
Includes head in the outdoor kitchen, standing near a display of mexican earthenware. I tend to like reading books set during the golden age of hollywood and ive always admired edith heads talent, so i looked forward to reading design for dying. Well written and researched, and with plenty of photos it examines how she functioned and shaped future stars and the way the represented and managed their image. Never before has the account of hollywoods most influential designer. Grace kelly or audrey hepburn but considering that that idea is still considered welldressed today, this book can be very useful. Head gives us a sure fire game plan on how to nab a guy, and even harder, how to keep him. Head was the daughter of a mining engineer, and she grew up in various towns and camps in arizona, nevada, and mexico. Edith head was perhaps the most famous hollywood costume designer of all time. Edith head books list of books by author edith head. Winner of eight oscars for costume design, the author descri.
Includes many drawn illustrations by edith head and photographs. The top ten edith head movies trying to select the ten best films featuring costumes designed by edith head verges on the impossible. This special gift editionan alphabetical romp through the art of getting dressed and dressing hollywoodfeatures edith heads best advice and stories, in her own words, along with gorgeous new illustrations. Edith head was born on october 28, 1897 in san bernardino, california, usa as edith claire posener. For more than fifty years, edith head designed the wardrobes of hollywood stars, defining cinema style through the golden era and into the early 1980s. For the most part, i was not disappointed even though the attitude of some of the police officers toward women felt more like 2016 than 1937. Edith head was an american costume designer, who over the course of her fivedecadelong career, won a record eight academy awards. Winner of eight oscars for costume design, the author describes some of the hundreds of productions she worked on and gives her personal impressions of the. The name to drop in the golden age of hollywood, head was wardrobe consultant on rear window and all about eve, to name a couple of classics. Long before rachel zoe, andrea leibermann, estee stanley, and nicole chavez were styling hollywood celebrities, eighttime oscar awardwinning edith head was the sartorial sensation behind the silver screen s most highprofile stars and starlets. In 1967, you couldnt stop for a botox quickie at lunch time. Filled with pithy anecdotes and neverbeforeseen sketches, edith head is the book for the costume design enthusiast. She designed for so many famous films, including sweet charity, butch cassidy and the sundance kid, vertigo, to catch and thief, white christmas, sunset boulevard, and countless others just look at her page on imdb.
Wisedup onceaspiringactress lillian frost meets edith head during a murder investigation. Responsible for some of the most memorable film wardrobes in history her credits included vertigo, sabrina, and sunset boulevard, to name but a few, head was nominated for dozens of oscars. The latest paramount pictures bmovie for which edith is designing the costumes is based on a case worked by lillians boyfriend lapd detective gene morrow, with the script claiming gene masterminded the heist that led to his partners death. Edith head was an american costume designer who won 8 8. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Edith head, a complete treasury of the fiftyyear career of.
The dress doctor by edith head 2011, paperback for sale. Photographs show interior and exterior views of hollywood costume designer edith heads kitchen in her beverly hills, california, home. If edith wanted to improve her quality of life, it was up to her. During her fortyfour years at paramount studios, she dressed hollywood. Never before has the account of hollywoods most influent all about eve. The life and times of hollywoods celebrated costume. The dress doctor by edith head, jane kesner morris ardmore. Buy the dress doctor by edith head, jane kesner morris ardmore online at alibris.
Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Edith head doll catherine from the heiress by etsy. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Be the first to ask a question about edith heads hollywood lists with this book tshirts, purses, corsets, panties, hats, glasses, gloves, jewelry, uniforms, shoes, brassieres, boutiques, and fashions unique. It was summer vacation of 1924 and edith head, 27, wanted a new job. Written after edith head died using her tape recorded memoirs, its a fascinating look at how head worked her way up from the bottom to become one of the most famous costume designers in hollywood. The brilliant edith head was responsible for some of the most iconic and glamorous film looks in all of hollywood history, and ive been a big fan of hers for years which is why im surprised i dont have a coffee table book dedicated to her work. She racked up an unprecedented 35 oscar nods and 400 film credits over the course of a fiftyyear career. Isbn 9781883318895 9781883318895 softcover, angel city press, 2008. Her costumes have now been recreated on beautiful dolls designed by award winning artist robert tonner.
Edith head began her long and extraordinary career in the 1920s, mainly under the tutelage and shadow of one of the great hollywood costume designers, travis banton. She began her career in the 1920s dressing elephants she mistakenly used real flowers, which the pachyderms promptly ate and. Buy how to dress for success by edith head, joe hyams online at alibris. In honor of the late edith heads 116th birthday, we rounded up the iconic costume designers most legendary onscreen styles, from audrey hepburn in funny face to. Edith head biography facts, childhood, family life. Edith heads new project doesnt exactly make lillian frost think hooray for hollywood.
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