What is Edith Head's claim to fame?

Edith Head (October 28, 1897 – October 24, 1981) was an American costume designer who won multiple Academy Awards for Best Costume Design, starting with 'The Heiress' (1949) and ending with 'The Sting' (1973). Having graduated from Stanford with a degree in French, she took up a teaching post in the Bishop School for Girls. After being informed that she also had to teach art, Edith went to night classes at an art school.

In 1924, despite lacking art, design, and costume design experience, the 26-year-old Head was hired as a costume sketch artist at Paramount Pictures. Later, she admitted to "borrowing" other student's sketches for her job interview. She first acquired notability for Dorothy Lamour’s trademark sarong dress and then became a household name after the Academy Awards created a new category of Costume Design in 1948.

Head was considered exceptional for her close working relationships with her subjects, and these included virtually every top female star in Hollywood. Her keen eye helped construct our vision of Old Hollywood, as she was versatile in creating costumes ranging from simple and sophisticated to dramatic and flamboyant.

In 1967, she left Paramount for Universal and also adapted her skills for television where she remained until her death in 1981. With a staggering 8 Oscars & 35 nominations, she is truly one of the fashion designer icons of cinema and her designs have left us with some formidable iconic images of women on screen.