Fri 6/28
Actress Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) was known as much for her distinctive style and presentation as for the movie roles she performed. Unlike the majority of actors and actresses of Hollywood’s golden era, who changed their names to leave their hardscrabble roots behind and often began their careers young with little else to aim for, Hepburn (born Katharine Hepburn) came from wealth and attended an elite college before launching her film career.
That background informed the sophisticated, independent personality she projected in many of her film roles, such as The Philadelphia Story and The African Queen. That extended to her fashion sense; she was notable for wearing pants back when women just didn’t do so, and doing so with an elegant flair.
Now the Kent State University Museum is opening an exhibition called The Hepburn Style: Katharine and Her Designers. Based on items in the museum’s noted fashion collection, it features clothing from both her personal life and her screen career, which often reflected her personal preferences as well as she worked with designers to express her own tastes. Among the designers she worked with were Elizabeth Hawes, Valentina, Adrian and Irene.
The exhibition, which opens this week, will be on view through May 25, 2025. Get more information here.
kent.edu/museum/hepburn-style-katharine-and-her-designers