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Travis Banton (August 18, 1894 – February 2, 1958) was an Americancostume designer. He is perhaps best known for his long collaboration with actressMarlene Dietrich and directorJosef von Sternberg. He is generally considered one of the most important Hollywood costume designers of the golden age.
Born in Waco, Texas, Banton moved to New York City as a child. He was educated at Columbia University and at theArt Students League of New York, where he studied art and fashion design.
An early apprenticeship with a high-society costume dressmaker earned him fame. His reputation was established whenMary Pickford selected one of his dresses for her wedding toDouglas Fairbanks.
He opened his dressmaking salon in New York City, and he was asked to create costumes for theZiegfeld Follies. In 1924, Banton moved to Hollywood whenParamount contracted with him to create costumes forThe Dressmaker from Paris, his first film.
Beginning withNorma Talmadge inPoppy, Banton designed clothing forPola Negri andClara Bow in the 1920s. In the 1930s and 1940s, Banton designed forKay Francis,Lilyan Tashman,Sylvia Sidney,Gail Patrick,Helen Vinson, andClaudette Colbert. Ultimately, Banton may be best remembered for forging the style ofCarole Lombard,Marlene Dietrich, andMae West. Dietrich and Banton had an especially close and successful collaboration. His work for Dietrich frequently is referenced by designers.
Glamour, subtle elegance, and exquisite fabrics endeared Banton to Hollywood's celebrated beauties and made him one of the sought-after costume designers of his era. As viewings of such films asThe Gilded Lily (1935) andDesire (1936) reveal, his costume designs were marked by form-flattering cuts (often on thebias), rich fabrics (such assatin andlamé), and extravagant textures (beads, fur, and feathers). He collaborated closely with directors and actresses in order to fulfil their vision.
When designerHoward Greer left Paramount, Banton was promoted to head designer and was responsible for dressing the studio's stars. Because of his worsening alcoholism, and according to some commentators, at the instigation of his assistantEdith Head, Banton was forced to leave Paramount. He returned to designing privately for loyal stars and occasionally designed forTwentieth Century-Fox from 1939 to 1941 andUniversal from 1945 to 1948.
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