Mildred Blount (1907-1974), “milliner to the stars”, is best known for her costume work on the iconic film Gone With The Wind. She became interested in hat making while working at the famous Madame Clair’s Dress and Hat Shop in New York City. Her interest lead her to research the history of hat fashion through the ages. For the 1939 New York Worlds Fair Blount designed 87 miniature hats, which represented hat styles form 1680 to 1937. Her work was a huge hit at the fair. Her hard work and talent lead her to Hollywood where worked with major film studios and gained an impressive list of famous clientele, including Joan Crawford and Gloria Vanderbilt.
Mildred Blount became the first African American member of the Motion Pictures Costumers Union. Her hats can be found in the California African American Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
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