Alexander "Omar" Kiam (1894 – 1954) was an American fashion designer and costume designer.
Early life
Born Alexander Kiam in Monterrey, Mexico, to Texan parents.[1] Kiam picked up the nickname "Omar" at Riverview Preparatory School in Poughkeepsie, New York.[2] He later went to the Poughkeepsie Military Academy in New York.[3] His first job as a designer was producing caps for babies for a department store in Houston.[3] Kiam chose to retain his nickname professionally, as he appreciated the link to Omar Khayyám.[4]
Although primarily known as a costume designer Kiam had also run a wholesale fashion design business supplying clothing to shops across the United States before he moved to Hollywood.[8]
After leaving Hollywood, in 1941 Kiam became head designer for the Ben Reig fashion label, a company founded in 1929. Also designing costume jewelry for them from 1948, he worked there until his death in 1954.[9]
^ abcdeBailey, Margaret J. (1988). Those glorious glamour years : Classic Hollywood costume design of the 1930s. London: Columbus. ISBN9780862878832. OCLC18071243.