Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday (1953)

Portrait of Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn for Roman Holiday directed by William Wyler, 1953 via

Portrait of Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn for Roman Holiday directed by William Wyler, 1953 via

A Collection of Photos Feat. Dresses by Edith Head

Edith Head (1897 – 1981) was an American costume designer who won a record eight Academy Awards for Best Costume Design, starting with The Heiress (1949) and ending with The Sting (1973).

Born and raised in California, Head managed to get a job as a costume sketch artist at Paramount Pictures, without any relevant training. 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 Designer in 1948. Head was considered exceptional for her close working relationships with her subjects, with whom she consulted extensively, and these included virtually every top female star in Hollywood.

After 43 years she left Paramount for Universal, possibly because of her successful partnership with Alfred Hitchcock, and also adapted her skills for television.

Edith Head, 1930s via

Edith Head’s costume for Anna May Wong in Dangerous to Know directed by Robert Florey, 1938 via

Grace Kelly wearing her Oscar dress by Edith Head. Photograph by Philippe Halsman via

Edith Head’s costume for Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd directed by Billy Wilder, 1950 via

Audrey Hepburn (with Edith Head in the background) puts on her tiara and necklace while on the set of Roman Holiday, 1952 via

Hitchcock and Head on the set of Family Plot, 1976 via

A Collection of Photos Feat. Audrey Hepburn Wearing Givenchy

Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy first met in 1953. Givenchy was meant to design the costumes for Hepburn’s film, Sabrina. At the time, Givenchy was still a new designer. He had opened the House of Givenchy in Paris in 1952, and at 25 years old, was the youngest fashion designer on the Paris fashion scene at the time. Hepburn, too, was just starting her career at the time. When Givenchy was told that “Miss Hepburn” would be coming to see him about the film costumes, he was expecting to meet Katherine Hepburn (an already-established actress, with no relationship to Audrey Hepburn).

Givenchy had later reflected on that first meeting with Hepburn saying, “there, framed in the doorway, was this beautiful, tiny, skinny person who appeared very fragile, with huge doe eyes, wearing a small pullover, trousers in fabric from Vichy.” Her attire intrigued him, as did her frame, which was unusually small compared to most fashion models of the time. Givenchy was in the middle of designing a collection and was unsure whether he could make the wardrobe for Sabrina. But after Hepburn tried on a few of the dresses he had already made, Givenchy knew he had to design for her. He continued to design the costumes for almost every one of Audrey Hepburn’s future films, at Hepburn’s request (source).

Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer attend the Netherlands’ premiere of Sabrina, November 1954. For their first official film collaboration, Givenchy knew his sketches needed to impress. The result was a whole wardrobe of stunning costumes including this embroidered organza evening gown via

Audrey Hepburn wearingin the same Givenchy ball gown that she wore in the film Sabrina. Photograph by Jack Garofalo via

At the Academy Awards, 1954 Audrey Hepburn won best actress for her first major film role, as Princess Ann in 1953’s Roman Holiday. To collect the gong, she recycled her costume from the film, asking her new friend Givenchy to alter it for the red carpet via

It was also the first time audiences saw Audrey wearing a Givenchy gown but definitely not the last. The actress and couturier developed a friendship that lasted over 40 years via

Hubert and Audrey during a dress fitting for the quintessential wedding gown Audrey wore in Funny Face directed by Stanley Donen, 1956 via

The dress started the trend for tea length wedding dresses via