Every time you imagine a silver screen icon: Grace Kelly in her sleep over negligee in Rear Window, Mae West corseted in glitz in She Done Him Wrong, Barbara Stanwyk hiding behind dark guilty glasses in Double Indemnity, Ingrid Bergman peeking out beneath her fabulous brimmed hat in Notorious, Gloria Sawnson making her insane declaration “I'm ready for my close up” in Sunset Boulevard, Elizabeth Taylor falling for Montgomery Clift in a flowered strapless white ballgown, Tippi Hedrin getting attacked by birds in a graceful pale green suit. These images that come to mind were all created by Edith Head. She dressed and designed for all these ladies and more in some of their most recognizable roles.
Head is known by kids today as the inspiration for the character Edna Mode in The Incredibles. She was a private, talented woman who always wore heavy bangs, dark glasses, and a bun. She was unparralled costume designer the likes of which Hollywood has not known since.
I love her stance on life and fashion too. She once said “Your dresses should be tight enough to show you're a woman and loose enough to show you're a lady” and “You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it.”
But what do you think?