Salinger, Irene Saltern, 1911-2005

Irene Saltern Salinger was a Hollywood fashion designer from 1937 until 1943. She was born Irene Stern in Germany on January 30, 1911 and grew up in Berlin. She had a privileged childhood and often spent time with her then next-door neighbor, Albert Einstein. After high school, Saltern attended fashion design school in Berlin. Shortly after finishing school and marrying Harry Salinger, she received an invitation from a relative living in California and chose to travel to the United States, where she settled and pursued a career in costume design. In Hollywood, she began as a wardrobe designer at Republic Pictures in the late 1930s, then worked for Samuel Goldwyn Pictures in the 1940s. She left studio work to design women's sportswear for Tabak of California in 1949. In the 1960s, she worked for the design houses of Phil Rose, Lanz of California, and also briefly headed her own firm, Irene Saltern of California. She was best known for her influence in the women's sportswear industry, particularly her work as the originator of coordinated sportswear separates. Her papers include pencil and watercolor costume sketches for Hollywood film productions and her commercial work, photographs, collected fashion plates, scrapbooks, correspondence, and fabric swatches. Costume sketches include work for the Republic Pictures as well as films Saboteur, Miss Polly, They Dare Not Love, So Ends Our Night, Time Out for Rhythm, The Howards of Virginia, Tanks a Million, Cheers for Miss Bishop, All-American Co-Ed, The Westerner, and Raffles.

From the description of Irene Saltern Salinger papers, 1911 - 1950. (University of California, Irvine). WorldCat record id: 767644117

Historical Background

Irene Saltern Salinger was a Hollywood fashion designer from 1937 until 1943. Salinger was born in Germany on January 30, 1911 and grew up in Berlin. She had a privileged childhood and often spent time with her then next-door neighbor, Albert Einstein. After high school, Salinger attended fashion design school in Berlin. Shortly after finishing school and marrying Harry Salinger, she received an invitation from a relative living in California and chose to travel to the United States, where she settled and pursued a career in costume design.

In Hollywood, Salinger was initially hired by the publicity department of Universal Studios, and later began working for Republic Pictures designing costumes for western films in the late 1930s. Craving a more glamorous position, Salinger obtained a position with Samuel Goldwyn Pictures in the 1940s as a fashion designer and later as the head of wardrobe design. Among the movies for which she designed costumes are Call of the Yukon (1938), Under Western Stars (1938), Gangs of New York (1938), The Howards of Virginia (1940), They Dare Not Love (1941), Time Out for Rhythm (1941), and Cheers for Miss Bishop (1941).

Salinger left Hollywood in 1943 and began to design women's sportswear for Tabak of California in 1949. In the 1960s, she worked for the design houses of Phil Rose, Lanz of California, and also briefly headed her own firm, Irene Saltern of California. She was best known for her influence in the women's sportswear industry, particularly her work as the originator of coordinated sportswear separates. She died September 4, 2005 in Newport Beach, California.

From the guide to the Irene Saltern Salinger papers, Bulk, 1940-1980, 1819-2005, (Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine Libraries)