nPostednon October 28, 2014
n
n
n
n
n
n
Today’snfamous birthday holds a record for most Academy Awards in CostumenDesign.
Today’snfamous birthday holds a record for most Academy Awards in CostumenDesign.n
n
n
n
n
nEightntimes she won an Oscar for her movie costumes!
n
n
n
n
n
nEdithnHead had a long career, of course – she worked in the industry forn57 years! That’s more than half a century!
n
n
n
n
n
nSo…let’snsee if we can figure out how to copy the amazing success Edith Headnhad. Like, how did she get her start in the movie-costume-makingnindustry? Did she get degrees or specialized training?
n
n
n
n
n
nBriefnBio
n
n
n
n
n
nInnHead’s case, the answer is “no.” No degree in costume design (ornfashion design), and no specialized training.
n
n
n
n
n
nEdithnHead was born on this date in 1897 in San Bernardino, California. Hernname was Edith Claire Posener. She did get degrees: a B.A. In Frenchnfrom UC Berkeley and an M.A. in romance languages from Stanford. (Inncase you don’t know, those are both top schools.) She began to teachnFrench and art, and she married a man named Charles Head.nUnfortunately, the marriage didn’t last, but her new name – EdithnHead – did last from 1923 until her death in 1981.
n
n
n
n
n
n
Inn1924, Head tried out for a job as a sketch artist for ParamountnPictures in Hollywood. And even though she had no experience in art,ndesign, or costume design, she got the job.
Inn1924, Head tried out for a job as a sketch artist for ParamountnPictures in Hollywood. And even though she had no experience in art,ndesign, or costume design, she got the job. n
n
n
n(Later, she admitted thatnshe had done a really bad thing – she had borrowed others’ sketchesnfor her job interview!! Yikes!)
n
n
n
n
n
nButnshe must’ve had talent, and she must’ve worked hard, because shenquickly became one of Hollywood’s leading designers. And this wasnback when movies were just starting to have sound!
n
n
n
n
n
- n
-
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
- n
-
n
n
nDabblen in design yourself! Do you want to draw costumes for the good guysn and bad guys in a fantasy movie (the elves, orcs, and so forth)?n
n
n
nOrn for a futuristic science-fiction movie? How about a movie set duringn Ancient Egyptian times…or during the 1400s in China?
n
n
n
- n
-
n
n
nDidn you notice that the character Edna Mode, in the Pixar movie Then Incredibles,n is an homage to Edith Head?n
n
n
n
n
n
n
- n
-
nNotn necessarily meant for kids, the website Clothes on Filmn gives some interesting info on movie costume design.
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nAlsonon this date:
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nOhinDay in Cyprus and Greece
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nAnniversarynof the opening of the Gateway Arch
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nPlannahead:
n
n
n
n
n
nChecknout my Pinterest boards for:
n
- n
-
n
-
n
- Historicaln anniversaries in October
nn
n
n
n
nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
n
- n
-
nNovembern holidays
n
-
nNovembern birthdays
n
-
nHistoricaln anniversaries in November
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
