Person

Irene

Costume & Make-Up · 1901–1962 · Baker, Montana, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Irene Maud Lentz (December 8, 1901 – November 15, 1962) also known mononymously and professionally as Irene, was an American fashion designer and costume designer. Her work as a clothing designer in Los Angeles led to her career as a costume designer for films in the 1930s. Lentz also worked under the name Irene Gibbons. Lentz had been taught sewing as a child and, with a flair for style, she decided to open a small dress shop. The success of her designs in her tiny store eventually led to an offer from the Bullocks Wilshire luxury department store to design for their Ladies Custom Salon which catered to a wealthy clientele including a number of Hollywood stars. Lentz's designs at Bullocks gained her much attention in the film community and she was contracted by independent production companies to design the wardrobe for some of their productions. Billing herself simply as "Irene", her first work came in 1933 on the film Goldie Gets Along featuring her designs for star Lily Damita. However, her big break came when she was hired to create the gowns for Ginger Rogers for her 1937 film Shall We Dance with Fred Astaire. This was followed by more designs in another Ginger Rogers film as well as work for other independents such as Walter Wanger Productions, Hal Roach Studios as well as majors such as RKO, Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures. During the 1930s, Irene Lentz designed the film wardrobe for leading ladies such as Constance Bennett, Hedy Lamarr, Joan Bennett, Claudette Colbert, Carole Lombard, Ingrid Bergman, and Loretta Young among others. She "is generally regarded as the originator of the dressmaker suit" that was popular in the late 1930s. Through her work, Lentz met and married short story author and screenwriter Eliot Gibbons, brother of multi-Academy Award winning Cedric Gibbons, head of art direction at MGM Studios. Despite her success, working under the powerful set designer Cedric while being married to his brother Eliot was not easy. Irene confided to her close friend Doris Day that the marriage to Eliot was not a happy one. Generally regarded as the most important and influential production designer in the history of American films, Cedric Gibbons hired Lentz when gown designer Adrian left MGM in 1941 to open his own fashion house. By 1943 she was a leading costume supervisor at MGM, earning international recognition for her "soufflé creations" and is remembered for her avant-garde wardrobe for Lana Turner in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946). In 1950, Lentz left MGM to open her own fashion house. After Lentz was out of the film industry for nearly ten years, Doris Day requested her services for the production Midnight Lace (Universal, 1960). The following year she did the costume design for another Day film, Lover Come Back (1961), and during 1962 worked on her last production, A Gathering of Eagles (1963). Lentz was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White for B.F.'s Daughter (1948). She was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Color for Midnight Lace (1960).

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  Gaslight

  Costume Design

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  Bathing Beauty

  Costume Supervisor

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  The Picture of Dorian Gray

  Costume Supervisor

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  The Pirate

  Costume Supervisor

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  Till the Clouds Roll By

  Costume Supervisor

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  Vivacious Lady

  Costume Design

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  Fiesta

  Costume Design

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  Undercover Maisie

  Costume Design

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  To Be or Not to Be

  Costume Design

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  Swing Fever

  Costume Supervisor

• 1963A Gathering of EaglesCostume Design
• 1961Lover Come BackCostume Design
• 1960Midnight LaceCostume Design
• 1950Shadow on the WallCostume Design
• 1950Please Believe MeCostume Design
• 1950Key to the CityCostume Design
• 1949In the Good Old SummertimeCostume Design
• 1949Scene of the CrimeCostume Design
• 1949The Great SinnerCostume Design
• 1949Neptune's DaughterCostume Design
• 1949The Sun Comes UpCostume Design
• 1949The Barkleys of BroadwayCostume Design
• 1949The BribeCostume Design
• 1948Julia MisbehavesCostume Design
• 1948Easter ParadeCostume Design
• 1948The PirateCostume Supervisor
• 1948On an Island with YouCostume Design
• 1948State of the UnionCostume Design
• 1948B.F.'s DaughterCostume Design
• 1948Tenth Avenue AngelCostume Design
• 1947Cass TimberlaneCostume Design
• 1947Desire MeCostume Supervisor
• 1947This Time for KeepsCostume Design
• 1947Merton of the MoviesCostume Design
• 1947Song of LoveCostume Supervisor
• 1947The Unfinished DanceCostume Supervisor
• 1947CynthiaCostume Design
• 1947Song of the Thin ManCostume Supervisor
• 1947The Romance of Rosy RidgeCostume Supervisor
• 1947The HuckstersCostume Supervisor
• 1947Dark DelusionCostume Supervisor
• 1947FiestaCostume Design
• 1947Living in a Big WayCostume Design
• 1947High BarbareeCostume Design
• 1947The Sea of GrassCostume Supervisor
• 1947Undercover MaisieCostume Design
• 1947The Arnelo AffairCostume Design
• 1947Green Dolphin StreetCostume Supervisor
• 1946Love Laughs at Andy HardyCostume Supervisor
• 1946The Secret HeartCostume Supervisor
• 1946Lady in the LakeCostume Supervisor
• 1946The YearlingCostume Supervisor
• 1946Till the Clouds Roll ByCostume Supervisor
• 1946UndercurrentCostume Supervisor
• 1946Courage of LassieCostume Supervisor
• 1946Faithful in My FashionCostume Design
• 1946Easy to WedCostume Design
• 1946A Letter for EvieCostume Supervisor
• 1946Two Sisters from BostonCostume Supervisor
• 1946Two Smart PeopleCostume Supervisor
• 1946Bad BascombCostume Supervisor
• 1946The Postman Always Rings TwiceCostume Supervisor
• 1946The Hoodlum SaintCostume Design
• 1946Up Goes MaisieCostume Supervisor
• 1946The Harvey GirlsCostume Supervisor
• 1945AdventureCostume Design
• 1945The Sailor Takes a WifeCostume Design
• 1945Yolanda and the ThiefCostume Design
• 1945Her Highness and the BellboyCostume Design
• 1945She Went to the RacesCostume Supervisor
• 1945Week-End at the WaldorfCostume Supervisor
• 1945Our Vines Have Tender GrapesCostume Design
• 1945The Hidden EyeCostume Supervisor
• 1945Ziegfeld FolliesCostume Supervisor
• 1945Anchors AweighCostume Supervisor
• 1945Dangerous PartnersCostume Supervisor
• 1945Twice BlessedCostume Designer
• 1945The ClockCostume Supervisor
• 1945Thrill of a RomanceCostume Supervisor
• 1945The Valley of DecisionCostume Supervisor
• 1945Son of LassieCostume Supervisor
• 1945Between Two WomenCostume Design
• 1945Without LoveCostume Supervisor
• 1945The Picture of Dorian GrayCostume Supervisor
• 1945National VelvetCostume Supervisor
• 1945The Great MorganIrene (uncredited)
• 1944The Thin Man Goes HomeCostume Supervisor
• 1944Music for MillionsCostume Design
• 1944Nothing But TroubleCostume Supervisor
• 1944Gentle AnnieCostume Supervisor
• 1944Meet Me in St. LouisCostume Supervisor
• 1944Thirty Seconds Over TokyoCostume Supervisor
• 1944Mrs. ParkingtonCostume Supervisor
• 1944KismetCostume Supervisor
• 1944Maisie Goes to RenoCostume Supervisor
• 1944The Canterville GhostCostume Supervisor
• 1944Bathing BeautyCostume Supervisor
• 1944Two Girls and a SailorCostume Supervisor
• 1944Meet the PeopleCostume Supervisor
• 1944The White Cliffs of DoverCostume Supervisor
• 1944Andy Hardy's Blonde TroubleCostume Supervisor
• 1944GaslightCostume Design
• 1944RationingCostume Supervisor
• 1944See Here, Private HargroveCostume Supervisor
• 1944A Guy Named JoeCostume Supervisor
• 1944Broadway RhythmCostume Design
• 1943Lost AngelCostume Design
• 1943Madame CurieCostume Supervisor
• 1943Girl CrazyCostume Supervisor
• 1943Cry 'Havoc'Costume Supervisor
• 1943Swing FeverCostume Supervisor
• 1943Best Foot ForwardCostume Supervisor
• 1943Swing Shift MaisieCostume Supervisor
• 1943Thousands CheerCostume Supervisor
• 1943Du Barry Was a LadyCostume Supervisor
• 1943Above SuspicionCostume Supervisor
• 1943Dr. Gillespie's Criminal CaseCostume Design
• 1943No Time for LoveCostume Design
• 1943Slightly DangerousCostume Supervisor
• 1943Cabin in the SkyCostume Supervisor
• 1943The Human ComedyCostume Supervisor
• 1942Reunion in FranceCostume Design
• 1942You Were Never LovelierCostume Design
• 1942The Palm Beach StoryCostume Design
• 1942The Talk of the TownCostume Design
• 1942Tales of ManhattanCostume Design
• 1942They All Kissed the BrideCostume Design
• 1942Take a Letter, DarlingCostume Design
• 1942The Wife Takes a FlyerCostume Design
• 1942To Be or Not to BeCostume Design
• 1941You'll Never Get RichCostume Design
• 1941That Uncertain FeelingCostume Design
• 1941The Devil and Miss JonesCostume Design
• 1941Mr. & Mrs. SmithCostume Design
• 1940Arise, My LoveCostume Design
• 1940Seven SinnersCostume Designer
• 1940Hired WifeCostume Designer
• 1940Lucky PartnersCostume Design
• 1940Waterloo BridgeCostume Design
• 1940Too Many HusbandsCostume Design
• 1940Green HellCostume Design
• 1939Eternally YoursCostume Design
• 1939Intermezzo: A Love StoryCostume Design
• 1939In Name OnlyCostume Design
• 1939Bachelor MotherCostume Design
• 1939MidnightCostume Design
• 1938Topper Takes a TripCostume Design
• 1938Trade WindsCostume Design
• 1938You Can't Take It with YouCostume Design
• 1938Vivacious LadyCostume Design
• 1938Merrily We LiveCostume Design
• 1938AlgiersWardrobe Designer
• 1937TopperCostume Design
• 1937Shall We DanceCostume Design
• 1936Wedding PresentCostume Design
• 1933Goldie Gets AlongCostume Design
• 1924Picking PeachesThe Store Manager's Wife
• 1924Ten Dollars or Ten DaysThe Cashier
• 1923The Dare-DevilThe Second Heroine
• 1922A Tailor-Made ManMiss Nathan
• 1922The Duck HunterThe Sportsman's Boss's Wife