by Chad Kennerk

All images courtesy of Okcmoa

There’s a good chance you’ve seen her name emblazoned on screen in at least one of the hundreds of opening titles that bear her name. Considered one of film history’s great costume designers, Edith Head began working for Paramount Pictures in 1924. In 1982, her name was still appearing on screen with the posthumous release of the Steve Martin comedy Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, which was dedicated to her memory. She initially made waves in the late 1930s for her association with the sarong dress (designed for Dorothy Lamour) and made history in 1938 when she became the first female head of a major studio's costume department after designer Travis Banton’s departure from Paramount. The establishment of the Academy Award for Costume Design in 1949 helped further introduce costume designers to the general public and led to a record-breaking run of nominations and wins for Head.