know your retro: Edith Head

“You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it”
–Edith Head



My Dearest Friends,

Despite the fact that I am obviously a most talented young lady, not to mention beautiful and intelligent with an effervescent personality and sparkling wit, it has recently come to my attention that I am a tad unemployable. Oh, I do the odd thing here and there. Sometimes I do some nude modeling for life-drawing classes, which I enjoy because makes me feel like a scandalous Parisian bon vivant from the turn of the last century. In the past few months I’ve been a zombie (part of an army of walking dead promoting a movie), sold tickets at The Clothing Show, and I’m trying to do a little writing too. Unfortunately, a real job seems out of my grasp. Not that I’ve been trying as hard as I might to find one. I guess, and this is a little hard to admit, so bear with me, I am a tiny tad frightened of rejection. Not really frightened, just a bit sick and tired of being told no. After the whole grad school fiasco and being turned down for some jobs that suited my qualifications to a t, I just don’t feel that my poor little psyche can deal with another let down. I know that if I just bite the bullet and apply for whatever interests me, something’s bound to come about. It’s just that… I guess I feel under qualified for pretty much everything I’d want to do. Not that I should- I’ve done a ton of super-duper stuff in my time. However, I can’t seem to shake the feeling that employers aren’t exactly beating each other up to get their hands on a gal who’s highest level of education is an art school diploma and who has ten years of experience in the exciting and lucrative world of performance art.

The person whose spirit I am now going to attempt to channel is Edith Head. First off, I would like to point out how strikingly similar we both look- it’s almost spooky. That is not my only reason for bringing her to your attention. What is remarkable about her is the ballsy way in which she became the most famous costume designer in Hollywood. She was a French teacher who had been asked to teach an art class. Shortly after she began taking some art classes, she responded to an ad in the paper- Paramount Pictures was looking for an artist who could draw and sew clothing. The pay they offered was good, but Edith was not- at least not at drawing. She filled her portfolio for the interview with other students’ sketches; she told the interviewer “this is what we draw in class”. With this subtle twist of the truth, she was hired. It didn’t take Paramount long to realize that Edith was not in fact skilled at drawing. Rather than fire her, she was made assistant to the head of costume design. Eventually she took over the costume department and went on to become one of the world’s leading authorities on style and fashion. During her forty-four years in Hollywood, she was nominated for thirty-five Best Costume Design Academy Awards (and won more Oscars than any woman in history). Not bad for a French teacher who couldn’t draw.

I guess it goes to show that the right confidence and attitude can open just about any door. Faith, dedication and good old fashioned bluffing are strong weapons to have in one’s arsenal. It is with this in mind that I try to gather up the nerve to venture forth and try to make something of myself. Not sure quite what, but most certainly something.