Edith: Fashion Designer Par Excellence

Edith is a character doll for collectors age 8 and up.

Meet Edith: Famous costume designer. She called herself a magician, but three decades after her death in 1981, she is still recognized as Hollywood’s most famous costume designer. During 58 years of movie making, she expertly dressed almost every major film actor, but with her trademark straight-cut bangs, round glasses and tailored suits, she became more famous than most of them.

Young Edith studied Romance Languages at Stanford University and then taught French while attending art school at night. Starting as a sketch artist for Paramount Studios in 1923, she later transitioned to full-fledged designer in 1933. Her goal – as with all “makers” – was to learn everything she could both on her own and from those around her. Hollywood recognized her creative work in 1974 with her own star on Hollywood Boulevard. In her six decades of costume design, she worked on 1,131 motion pictures, received 35 Academy Award nominations and won an unprecedented eight Oscars. She also designed Vogue sewing patterns, wrote magazine and newspaper columns and three books, and appeared regularly on TV as America’s favorite fashion maven. 

Edith lives on through her films, books and designs -- and now, as a Maker Doll.

Hometowns: San Bernardino, CA and Hollywood, CA

Favorite colors: Black and white

Favorite drink: Chianti

Favorite season: Autumn

Character traits: Resourceful, clever, hard-working, generous

Favorite holiday: Christmas

Favorite indoor activities: Drawing and reading

Favorite outdoor activity: Gardening

How Edith was made

Edith is made from 100% organic cotton fabric, grown and woven in the USA. Her joints are hand-stitched and French-knotted with embroidery floss. She wears handmade glasses frames made with repurposed insulated wire and her clothing is handmade from repurposed, 100% wool and poly satin fabric from my collection. She wears restrung pearls tied with black satin ribbon, rescued from my costume jewelry box. Her face is hand-drawn and painted with water color pencils. Her hair is made of twisted yarn, hand-sewn to her head in the style she wore for her entire career (short, straight-cut bangs in front, long hair pulled up into a bun in the back). She stands 26" tall and can be posed in many different ways. 

Edith can be purchased at makerdolls.etsy.com