Designers in Detail

Designers in Detail is a new feature I am introducing to my Blog. At least every month I will do a post on a designer, past present or up-and-coming.

For the first ever Designer in Detail to be featured on So Stilvoll, I have decided to look at one of Marilyn Monroe's favoured costume designers William Travilla.

Travilla and Monroe wearing an outfit
from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 1953

Over my holidays I dusted of an old box set of Monroe films including The Seven Year Itch, Bus Stop and River Of No Return. I didn't realise until reading the titles at the begging of these wonderful, iconic films, how many films he worked with Monroe to achieve wonderfully shaped gowns.

Some of the most iconic Outfits he created for Marilyn Monroe include the amazing hot pink gown worn in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Also he crafted the fabulous white number from The Seven Year Itch.

White Cocktail Dress worn
in The Seven Year Itch.

Travilla's Sketch for the Diamonds Are A
 Girl's Best friend number.

Not only did the 1920 born designer dress Marilyn Monroe, but he dressed women from Judy Garland and Whitney Houston to Jane Russell and Dionne Warwick. Which leads me onto a brief mention of the tour of his beautiful gowns, for more information go to http://www.travillatour.com which i have to thank for some of the wonderful images in this post.

After a wonderful life he died in 1990 at the age of 70 of lung cancer. What an unfortunate loss? In my opinion he was one of the best costume designers ever to live, and he must have been important if such iconic actresses let him dress them. If you have any thoughts or questions comment on the bottom of this post, you don't even have to be a member of www.blogger.com, I would love to hear your thoughts, so keep posted for more Designers in Detail.

Part of the Travilla exhibition, thank you www.travillatour.com