American costume designer and clothing designer (1904-1985) who spent the bulk of her career with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Rose twice won Academy Awards for Best Costume Design: for The Bad and the Beautiful in 1952 and for I'll Cry Tomorrow in 1955. She was nominated a further eight times and was well known for designing famous wedding dresses of the era, including the dress worn by Grace Kelly when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956. Three original costume sketches designed by Academy Award-winning costume designer Helen Rose for the 1956 musical comedy Meet Me in Las Vegas. The sketches, each approximately 15.25 x 20 and 15 x 22, are expertly accomplished in variations of graphite, pastel, and watercolor, with approval initials and pencil notations present to the front and/or back. The sketches are as follows:
Actress Lili Darvas wearing a lovely light-colored silk dress with instructions to the right, “For color only, dress to be made in shantung,” and the reverse stamped as “Prod. No. 1680, Sketch No. 4685, Name Lili Darvas, Date 7/22/55, Sequence Ch. #2.”
A ballerina model dressed in a beautiful white collared tutu with sheer shoulders and sleeves, marked in the upper right corner, “Sleeping Beauty Ballet Queen, Eleanor Fairchild,” and stamped on the reverse as “Prod. No. 1680, Sketch No. 4848, Name Eleanor Fairchild, Fitter Thelma, Date 10/19/55, Sequence Sleeping Beauty Ballet.”
Actress Lili Darvas wearing a sleek brown-colored Indian-style tunic with matching heels and long skirt, a sample of which is stapled to the upper right corner, and the reverse stamped as “Prod. No. 1680, Sketch No. 4676, Name Lili Darvas, Fitter Kath Mc., Date 7/12, Sequence Ch. #1.” In overall fine condition, with some wear and toning to edges, which could be easily matted out if so desired.
