Edith Head - The Plain Jane Who Dressed the Stars

Edith Head became the most famous dress designer in Hollywood. Her creations adorned the top actresses of the Golden Age and she won  a record eight Academy Awards for Best Costume Design.

Edith Head

She was born  in San Bernardino, California on October 28, 1897 and studied first at Los Angeles High School and then to the University of California and Stanford University where, in 1920, she graduated with a Masters degree in Romance languages.
She began teaching French and Art in La Jolla and tried to improve her art skills by taking evening classes at the Chouinard Art College.
In 1923 she basically cheated her way into Paramount Studios when she she borrowed sketches done by her friends from the Art College to use as examples of her own work.
She became a close friend of Clara Bow and designed dresses for her, gradually taking on more and mor of the top actresses of the day such as  Bette Davis, Ginger Rogers, Marlene Dietrich, Olivia de Havilland and  Barbara Stanwyck. 
After WWII she continued her successes with creations for actresses such as  Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn.
When the Academy included a a Best Costume awards category, (at Edith's request), she began winning Oscars regularly. In all she was nominated on 35 occasions and won 8 Oscars in total.
Edith Head died, aged 83, on October 24, 1981, from myelofibrosis, a bone marrow disease. Her creations live on.

Mae West in Edith Head creation

Liz Taylor in 'A Place in the Sun

Edith Head Bio on Hollywood's Golden Age'