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Helen Rose

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Helen Rose
From left to right: Annabella Levy, Elizabeth Taylor and Helen Rose on the set ofRhapsody(1954)
Born(1904-02-02)February 2, 1904
Chicago,Illinois,U.S.
DiedNovember 9, 1985(1985-11-09)(aged 81)
Palm Springs,California,U.S.
OccupationCostume designer
SpouseHarry V. Rose
Children1

Helen Rose(February 2, 1904 – November 9, 1985) was an Americancostume designerand clothing designer who spent the bulk of her career withMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Career

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Helen Rose was born on February 2, 1904, to William Bromberg and Ray Bobbs in Chicago, Illinois of German Jewish and Russian Jewish descent.[1]

She attended theChicago Academy of Fine Artsand then designed nightclub and stage costumes for various acts.[2]She moved to Los Angeles in 1929, where she designed outfits forFanchon and Marcoand later theIce Follies.In the early 1940s, she spent two years working for20th Century Fox,where she designed wardrobes for musical selections. In 1943, MGM hired her in the wake ofAdrian's departure, and by the late 1940s, Rose was promoted to chief designer at the studio.[2]

In 1956, Rose designed the wedding dress worn by Grace Kelly for her marriage toRainier III, Prince of Monaco.[3]

In the late 1960s, Rose left the studio to open her own design business and continued to provide attire for the famed and the wealthy. She also wrote a fashion column. She wrote two books: her autobiographyJust Make Them Beautifulin 1976 andThe Glamorous World of Helen Rose.In the 1970s, Rose also staged a traveling fashion show featuring some of her MGM-designed costumes that was called "The Helen Rose Show".[4][5]

Recognition

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Elizabeth Taylor in the wedding dress Rose designed forFather of the Bride(1950)

Rose won twoAcademy Awards for Best Costume Design:forThe Bad and the Beautifulin 1952 and forI'll Cry Tomorrowin 1955.[2]She was nominated a further eight times and was well-known for designing famous bridal gowns of the era. She designed thewedding dressofGrace Kelly[6]when she marriedRainier III, Prince of Monacoin 1956.[7]She also designed clothing for Elizabeth Taylor in the moviesFather of the BrideandCat on a Hot Tin Roofas well asElizabeth Taylor's bridal gown when she marriedConrad "Nicky" Hilton.[7]

Personal life

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Rose was married to Harry V. Rose, whose birth name was Harry Rosenstein (1902–1993), and they had a daughter.

Helen Rose died inPalm Springs, California,in 1985, aged 81.[8]

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^Avrech, Robert J. (April 4, 2014)."Remembering Legendary Costume Designer Helen Rose".seraphicpress.Archived fromthe originalon November 30, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 9,2021.
  2. ^abcH. Kristina Haugland (2006).Grace Kelly: icon of style to royal bride.Yale University Press.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^"Grace Kelly's Wedding Dress and Accessories".Philadelphia Museum of Art.Retrieved14 February2022.
  4. ^"Helen Rose".Vintage Fashion Guild.RetrievedMay 2,2011.
  5. ^Folkart, Burt A. (November 12, 1985)."Film Costume Designer Helen Rose Dies".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedMay 2,2011.
  6. ^"The Most Iconic Royal Wedding Gowns of All Time".Harper's Bazaar.April 13, 2018.RetrievedJanuary 9,2021.
  7. ^abBergan, Ronald (March 31, 2011)."Designing Woman: Helen Rose".Slant Magazine.RetrievedMay 2,2011.
  8. ^"Rose, Helen (1904–1985)."Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through the Ages.Gale. 2007.

Additional info

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  • 1910 United States Federal Census, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, Enumeration District 7, Sheet 17, April 22–23, 1910.
  • 1920 United States Federal Census, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, Enumeration District 6, Sheet 10A, January 10, 1920.
  • California Death Index on Ancestry.
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