Clare West (costume designer)

Clare West
Born
Clara Belle Smith

(1879-05-10)May 10, 1879[citation needed]
Missouri, U.S.
DiedMarch 13, 1961(1961-03-13) (aged 81)[citation needed]
Ontario, California, U.S.
OccupationCostume designer
Spouses
  • Otis Oscar Hunley
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1898; div. 1902)​
  • Marshall Elmer Carriere
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1903; div. 1912)​
  • Paul P. Perry
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1920; div. 1922)​
West in second row, seated, at far right

Clare West born Clara Belle Smith (May 10, 1889 in Missouri - died August 1, 1980 Ontario, California with some sources stating she was born 30 January 1879 and dying 13 March 1961)[1] was one of the first costume designers in Hollywood.[2] She did notable work in the films of D. W. Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille. Recognising the importance of film costume in haute couture, some regard her as a predecessor in the American Look.[3]

  1. ^ Stutesman, Drake (2013). "Clare West". In Jane Gaines; Radha Vatsal; Monica Dall’Asta (eds.). Women Film Pioneers Project. New York, NY: Columbia University Libraries. doi:10.7916/d8-7r5s-ge73.
  2. ^ Benstock, Shari & Ferriss, Suzanne, On Fashion, Rutgers University Press, 1994, p. 181.
  3. ^ Munich, Adrienne Fashion in Film Indiana University Press, 2011, p. 9.