Edith Head was nominated for forty Academy Awards, and was awarded eight. Of those eight, two remain controversial as she had sole credit for the costume design despite the clothing actually being either chosen by someone else, or designed by someone else. This got me thinking: when I bill myself as costume designer for a play, am I disrupting some designer's code of ethics if I borrow or buy some of the costumes? Isn't it enough to understand that the costume designer is the organizer for the entire production--despite where the costumes come from? Think of a production designer: they're not going to be designing/constructing all the tables and chairs that go into a set--are they?
I admire this woman. She created a look for herself that lasted 40 years, but managed to remain unique. She dressed to look professional, and so as not to upstage the actresses in the fittings. Making the star of the show feel important and beautiful was the number one priortity. That's something that I have to learn--how to deal with the diva without compromising your design. She also perfected methods of emphasising or de-empasising an actresses good or bad parts.
Once, when Edith Head presented her design to one of the producers on a film (one of the old Hollywood producers that actually have their name in the studio name--Goldwyn or Mayer or Warner), she said she saw the outfit in black with white trim.
He said, "Really? I saw it white with black trim."
"That's what I said."
I admire this woman. She created a look for herself that lasted 40 years, but managed to remain unique. She dressed to look professional, and so as not to upstage the actresses in the fittings. Making the star of the show feel important and beautiful was the number one priortity. That's something that I have to learn--how to deal with the diva without compromising your design. She also perfected methods of emphasising or de-empasising an actresses good or bad parts.
Once, when Edith Head presented her design to one of the producers on a film (one of the old Hollywood producers that actually have their name in the studio name--Goldwyn or Mayer or Warner), she said she saw the outfit in black with white trim.
He said, "Really? I saw it white with black trim."
"That's what I said."
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
obd:
now I've got TMBG in my head ....
hapworth:
When I have my own show, I'm soo going to hire you. You are like me, or at least, seem to be. It appears to me that you study the history of your proffesion. I'm huge into that. I drive people at my theater crazy with my little history lessons.