The Active Historian

Hey, friend! Welcome back to another post. Today, I want to show you around the newest exhibition at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art!

Who was Edith Head?

Edith Head was fashion expert in the twentieth century. She worked for Paramount and Universal Studios for over five decades creating many of the iconic looks we know today! She designed costumes for over a hundred films during her illustrious career.

Head was nominated for thirty-five Oscar awards and successfully captured eight of them. She holds the record for most Oscars in the Costume Design category and most won by a woman.

Head also wrote two books, appeared as a guest lecturer on fashion, wrote columns for publications, and appeared in interviews. She loved to talk about women’s fashion!

“What a costume designer is a cross between magic and camouflage. We create the illusion of changing the actors into what they are not.”

Edith Head

A Selection of the Costumes

Speaking of fashion, let’s look at some of the costumes in the exhibition! I didn’t take pictures of all of the costumes – just my favorites or the ones I thought were unique. There are seventy costumes on display so make sure to go see the rest of the pieces for yourself!

TIP: You are NOT allowed to touch the costumes on display in the exhibition, but there is a binder about halfway through that has fabric samples you may touch. I thought this was an added bonus to the exhibition!

Concluding Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed reading about Edith Head and seeing some of the costumes she designed! This exhibition will be at the OKC MOA through September 29, 2024, so you still have time to go visit!

Happy traveling, friend! I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂

Visit

415 Couch Dr.

Oklahoma City, OK 73102

Sources

Edith Head exhibition panels

OKC MOA website