"Gowns by Edith Head" was one of the most-seen motion picture credits of the 20th century. Head began as an assistant costume designer in the Hollywood of the 1920s, and she eventually became the preeminent costume designer of Hollywood's golden age, earning eight Oscars (and over 30 nominations) during a career that included work on hundreds and hundreds of movies. Head had a long professional relationship with Alfred Hitchcock, designing the costumes for most of his features: she dressed Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant for Notorious (1946), and Grace Kelly and Grant for To Catch a Thief (1955). Her other films include Beau Geste (1939), Sunset Boulevard (1950), The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) and Sometimes a Great Notion (1971).

Head's last film was the Steve Martin comedy Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, which was released after her death in 1982.