Designers That Changed Fashion: Edith Head

Today I am starting an exciting new series that I am calling “Designers That Changed Fashion”! This new series will featured and is dedicated too designers that I feel have fundamentally changed the fashion industry forever.

Today I wanted to start off with a designer that seems to be forgotten all too often. Edith Head was a fashion forward, sophisticated designer whose vision for the looks she was trying to create has gone down in history.

Best known for her Old Hollywood costumes, Edith Head was always able to create a feeling and atmosphere that surrounded each character she dressed. Something I have picked up on after watching several films in which her costumes were worn in is that Head usually liked a bit of drama, and I don’t mean among the storyline. This drama was found in the fabric of the garments Head used.

This pattern of dramatic fabrics change among each actor/actress Edith Head dressed, but it clear that she knew what would look best on each person.

For instance, would Audrey Hepburn had looked as regal as she did in Roman Holiday (1953) if it were not for the somewhat stiff and sturdy fabric Head used? Not a chance. Would Grace Kelly had made the same breathtaking entrance in To Catch a Thief (1955) if she had not been wearing a dress that made her look like she was floating? I should think not! Edith Head understood the power of using different fabrics and this was a major key in how she played upon the emotions of audiences and set the scene.

Luckily for Edith Head and viewers alike, Alfred Hitchcock saw the genius in what Head was doing with costuming (as many other directors did at the time) and utilized her ability to signal to viewers important messages through fashion. A great example of this is in Rear Window (1954)! Hitchcock wanted the costumes to say more about the characters in this film than even the lines, so he hired Edith Head to take charge of the designs and she followed through with more than timeless ensembles.

Even today Head’s designs are considered a pinocle in film fashion and just fashion in general. In my opinion, she changed how fashion is perceived and allowed it to become a more mainstream form of art. So, a big congratulations to Edith Head for moving fashion forward and by making it more than just a necessity!

Much Love,

Sarah