Charles
LeMaire (April 22, 1897 – June 8, 1985) was an
American
costume designer. LeMaire took over as head of the Fox wardrobe department in 1943. "If a woman plays a chimney sweep in one film and a princess in the next one, who does the most to transform her?" LeMaire asked. "Not the script writer, not the sound man, not the director, not the musician — the costume designer does!”
Black suit designed by Charles Lemaire
Pink and purple satin pantsuit with train, designed by Charles LeMaire for
The Seven Year Itch ($100,000)
Brown Skirt Suit by Charles LeMaire for Love Nest
LeMaire's early career was as a vaudeville performer, but he became a costume designer for such Broadway productions as Ziegfeld Follies and The Five O'Clock Girl. By 1925 he turned to the movies. LeMaire was instrumental in persuading the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to institute a costume design Oscar. In a career spanning 37 years and nearly 300 films, he earned a total of three Academy Awards and an additional 13 nominations. Thanks to LeMaire, a special Oscar was introduced for costume design.
LeMaire died of heart failure in 1985.
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