Coming Soon...

An Edith Head costume collection from the Paramount Pictures Archive will be leaving Hollywood—for just the second time—to be shown exclusively at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio in Lancaster. This exhibition, Designing Woman: Edith Head at Paramount 1924-1967 is presented by the Fox Foundation and will run June 7 through August 17.

Edith Head is one of the most recognizable names in film fashion history. During her 60-year career she worked on over 1,000 films, garnered 35 Academy Award nominations and won 8—a record that still stands. During her unprecedented 43 years at Paramount Pictures, Edith Head designed many of the iconic costumes worn by Barbara Stanwyck, Loretta Young, Betty Hutton, Veronica Lake, Joan Fontaine and Dorothy Lamour—to name just a few. Her ability to hide figure flaws made her the favored designer of many actresses.

Ms. Head, a savvy business woman, was one of the first Hollywood designers to "brand" herself. The famous glasses with blue lenses made her inscrutable and enabled her to see fabric colors truer to their appearance in black and white film. She promoted her brand through radio, best-selling books, magazine articles, clothing patterns and frequent television appearances.

The costumes in this exhibition represent a cross section of the design work done by Edith Head at Paramount Pictures between 1937 and 1967. Given the number of motion pictures being produced at Paramount during those years, the volume and range of her design assignments was staggering. She not only designed exceptional evening gowns but also an array of day wear, impeccably tailored suits, performance costumes, Victorian ensembles and medieval finery—all showcased in this exhibition.

Randall Thropp, guest curator, has worked at Paramount Pictures for over a decade putting together a collection of historical and contemporary costumes—thus establishing a costume archive for the studio. Prior to working at Paramount, Mr. Thropp worked for over 16 years as a Costume Supervisor and assistant designer—most notably on the HBO Television series, Tales From The Crypt and Stephen King’s, The Shining for ABC Television. Mr. Thropp was also one of the original collaborators on the hit off-Broadway show, Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding and the author of numerous children’s plays. He is formerly from Lancaster, Ohio but has spent most of his adult life in New York and Los Angeles.
Related Programs:
Curator’s Talk
Sunday, June 8, 2pm - $8 / $5 members
Randall Thropp began his career at Paramount in 2003. As wardrobe archivist, he oversees a collection of 20,000 costume pieces and 12,000 pieces of jewelry. In addition to the 36 costumes in the exhibition, there will be a gallery featuring design elements that were used in Edith Head’s original workroom at Paramount. Mr. Thropp will discuss costuming from the initial design sketch through the finished garment.

A Weekend with Edith Head
OUL Film Festival
Saturday, August 16- Free Admission

Tours by Edith Head, as portrayed by actress Susan Claassen, and curator Randall Thropp
Sunday, August 17, 1:15 and 2:45 p.m.

2014 Summer Art Camp
June 23-27 “Behind the Seams”

Previous Exhibitions

January 25 - April 13, 2014
Barbara Hunzicker and Hal Stevens, Curators
Dublin, Ohio ceramics artist Tim Frederich has been collecting the work of other internationally renowned potters for 45 years. Both functional and sculptural objects–some inspired by nature, others by ancient forms–have been selected for this exhibition. There are wheel thrown, carved, slab and pinch built pieces of stoneware clay and porcelain. Surfaces are sculpted and incised, salt glazed or fired in wood filled pits and wood, gas and raku kilns. Innovative glazes have produced finishes that range from matte to glossy to exquisite crystals, creating one-of-a-kind surfaces of breathtaking diversity.