Irene
- Known for
- Costume & Make-Up
- Born
- December 8, 1901
- Died
- November 15, 1962 (aged 60)
- Birthplace
- Baker, Montana, USA
Biography
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).
Known For
Photos
Filmography
A Gathering of Eagles
Movie · Costume Design
Lover Come Back
Movie · Costume Design
Midnight Lace
Movie · Costume Design
Key to the City
Movie · Costume Design
Please Believe Me
Movie · Costume Design
Shadow on the Wall
Movie · Costume Design
Neptune's Daughter
Movie · Costume Design
The Great Sinner
Movie · Costume Design
The Bribe
Movie · Costume Design
The Sun Comes Up
Movie · Costume Design
Scene of the Crime
Movie · Costume Design
In the Good Old Summertime
Movie · Costume Design
The Barkleys of Broadway
Movie · Costume Design
Easter Parade
Movie · Costume Design
Tenth Avenue Angel
Movie · Costume Design
State of the Union
Movie · Costume Design
Julia Misbehaves
Movie · Costume Design
On an Island with You
Movie · Costume Design
B.F.'s Daughter
Movie · Costume Design
The Pirate
Movie · Costume Supervisor
The Arnelo Affair
Movie · Costume Design
Living in a Big Way
Movie · Costume Design
The Unfinished Dance
Movie · Costume Supervisor
This Time for Keeps
Movie · Costume Design
Fiesta
Movie · Costume Design
Cass Timberlane
Movie · Costume Design
Merton of the Movies
Movie · Costume Design
High Barbaree
Movie · Costume Design
Undercover Maisie
Movie · Costume Design
Green Dolphin Street
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Song of the Thin Man
Movie · Costume Supervisor
The Sea of Grass
Movie · Costume Supervisor
The Hucksters
Movie · Costume Supervisor
The Romance of Rosy Ridge
Movie · Costume Supervisor, Costume Design
Dark Delusion
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Song of Love
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Cynthia
Movie · Costume Design
Desire Me
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Up Goes Maisie
Movie · Costume Supervisor
The Hoodlum Saint
Movie · Costume Design
Love Laughs at Andy Hardy
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Easy to Wed
Movie · Costume Design
Faithful in My Fashion
Movie · Costume Design
Two Smart People
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Courage of Lassie
Movie · Costume Supervisor
The Secret Heart
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Till the Clouds Roll By
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Undercurrent
Movie · Costume Supervisor
The Postman Always Rings Twice
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Two Sisters from Boston
Movie · Costume Supervisor
The Harvey Girls
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Lady in the Lake
Movie · Costume Supervisor
The Yearling
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Bad Bascomb
Movie · Costume Supervisor
A Letter for Evie
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Week-End at the Waldorf
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Anchors Aweigh
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Yolanda and the Thief
Movie · Costume Design
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Dangerous Partners
Movie · Costume Supervisor
She Went to the Races
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Adventure
Movie · Costume Design
The Sailor Takes a Wife
Movie · Costume Design
Her Highness and the Bellboy
Movie · Costume Design
The Valley of Decision
Movie · Costume Supervisor
The Clock
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Without Love
Movie · Costume Supervisor
National Velvet
Movie · Costume Supervisor
The Hidden Eye
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Ziegfeld Follies
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Between Two Women
Movie · Costume Design
Thrill of a Romance
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Our Vines Have Tender Grapes
Movie · Costume Design
Son of Lassie
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Twice Blessed
Movie · Costume Designer
Kismet
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Gentle Annie
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Nothing But Trouble
Movie · Costume Supervisor
See Here, Private Hargrove
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Bathing Beauty
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Music for Millions
Movie · Costume Design
Gaslight
Movie · Costume Design
Broadway Rhythm
Movie · Costume Design
Two Girls and a Sailor
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Meet Me in St. Louis
Movie · Costume Supervisor
The Thin Man Goes Home
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Mrs. Parkington
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Meet the People
Movie · Costume Supervisor
A Guy Named Joe
Movie · Costume Supervisor
The White Cliffs of Dover
Movie · Costume Supervisor
The Canterville Ghost
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Maisie Goes to Reno
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Rationing
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Slightly Dangerous
Movie · Costume Supervisor
The Human Comedy
Movie · Costume Supervisor
No Time for Love
Movie · Costume Design
Girl Crazy
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Swing Shift Maisie
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Lost Angel
Movie · Costume Design
Madame Curie
Movie · Costume Supervisor, Costume Design
Cabin in the Sky
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Cry 'Havoc'
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Thousands Cheer
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Best Foot Forward
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Du Barry Was a Lady
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Above Suspicion
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Swing Fever
Movie · Costume Supervisor
Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case
Movie · Costume Design
Tales of Manhattan
Movie · Costume Design
The Palm Beach Story
Movie · Costume Design
The Wife Takes a Flyer
Movie · Costume Design
Reunion in France
Movie · Costume Design
You Were Never Lovelier
Movie · Costume Design
They All Kissed the Bride
Movie · Costume Design
The Talk of the Town
Movie · Costume Design
Take a Letter, Darling
Movie · Costume Design
To Be or Not to Be
Movie · Costume Design
You'll Never Get Rich
Movie · Costume Design
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Movie · Costume Design
The Devil and Miss Jones
Movie · Costume Design
That Uncertain Feeling
Movie · Costume Design
Waterloo Bridge
Movie · Costume Design
Too Many Husbands
Movie · Costume Design
Arise, My Love
Movie · Costume Design
Lucky Partners
Movie · Costume Design
Hired Wife
Movie · Costume Designer
Green Hell
Movie · Costume Design
Seven Sinners
Movie · Costume Designer
Midnight
Movie · Costume Design
Eternally Yours
Movie · Costume Design
In Name Only
Movie · Costume Design
Intermezzo: A Love Story
Movie · Costume Design
Bachelor Mother
Movie · Costume Design
You Can't Take It with You
Movie · Costume Design
Topper Takes a Trip
Movie · Costume Design
Vivacious Lady
Movie · Costume Design
Merrily We Live
Movie · Costume Design
Algiers
Movie · Wardrobe Designer
Trade Winds
Movie · Costume Design
Topper
Movie · Costume Design
Shall We Dance
Movie · Costume Design
Wedding Present
Movie · Costume Design
Goldie Gets Along
Movie · Costume Design