Beauty Break: Costume Design (Personal Ballot & Oscar Shortlist)
Friday, January 29, 2016 at 3:00PM 
We're about to wrap up the "traditional" portion of the Film Bitch Awards which are essentially Nathaniel's Oscar ballot were he to have one in every category. (There will be more awards each day until we're finished -- before the Oscars, mind you! -- but they're the fun "extras")
Oscar's costume branch and I were fairly sympatico on our shortlists this year differing by only two pictures. Yet citing only 7 pictures (all featured after the jump) feels stingy. Costume heavy period pictures like Macbeth, Crimson Peak, The Assassin and Brooklyn definitely had their moments. Two contemporary pictures worth noting for their clever work were Youth and Chi-Raq. And then there are the pictures that have one costume so special it's what you always think of later on when you're picturing the movie: that lime green slit-to-there dress in M:I - Rogue Nation, the perfect action hero simplicity of Chris Pratt's functional but very tight outfits in Jurassic World, the barely visible sight of Jennifer Jason Leigh under huge furry everything in The Hateful Eight, that stylish pilot jacket in Star Wars: The Force Awakens that traded hands and so on...
In short, if you don't love costumes -- get outta here! Let's celebrate the five Oscar nominees plus two Nathaniel nominated in his own awards after the jump. Crazy gorgeous photos ahead...
OSCAR'S COSTUME DESIGN NOMINEES
CAROL designed by Sandy Powell
Powell received both her 11th and 12th Oscar nomination this year. She's won thrice before for Shakespeare in Love (1998), The Aviator (2004), and The Young Victoria (2009)
CINDERELLA designed by Sandy Powell
Which of her two nominations do you prefer this year? Or would you like her to have two statues in a tie for the same designer?
THE DANISH GIRL by Paco Delgado
Paco Delgado is a Spanish designer who is arguably best known for his work with Pedro Almodovar including Bad Education (2004) and The Skin I Live In (2011) and was He was previously nominated for an Oscar for Les Miserables. He's also a favorite of The Film Experience medalling thrice consecutively (2011-2013) for his costume work from The Skin I Live In, through Les Miserables and on to the silent film Blancanieves.
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD by Jenny Beavan
She was nominated six times early in her career for her partnership with John Bright, they won the Oscar 30 years ago for A Room With a View. After going solo in the late 90s she's been nominated four times, most recently for The King's Speech. Mad Max Fury Road is a huge departure from her usual prestige period work.
THE REVENANT by Jacqueline West
This is her 3rd Oscar nomination. She was previously honored for Quills (2000) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). Don't miss our interview with West here.
The Academy chose quite well this year going way out on a genre limb by honoring Jenny Beavan's work on Mad Max Fury Road. And who can fault their double nod for the best designer in the business Sandy Powell? It's her second time pulling off that trick since she also did it in 1998 with Shakespeare in Love and Velvet Goldmine.
But my own ballot (which you can see with commentary here) is slightly different than Oscars. My year of drooling over movie costumes and all that they can bring to a cinematic experience includes the following two pictures as well.
NOT OSCAR NOMINATED BUT THEY SURE WERE WORTHY
FAR FROM MADDING CROWD by Janet Patterson
According to IMDb Patterson, who is best known for working on Jane Campion's singular films, is a "known recluse" and that could account for her very skimpy filmography. Yet every time she deigns to work it is completely beautiful. Her character costumes are always well attuned to the films moods, the character in question, and the period with occassionally inventive modern flair that never feels anachronistic.
THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. by Joanna Johnston
Joanna is best known for frequent work on Steven Spielberg movies but whenever she escapes his filmography she is more likely to let loose. Witness that glossy dress on Rebecca Ferguson in this past summer's Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. Her best work outside of Spielberg's filmography includes films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Death Becomes Her, About a Boy (remember Toni Collette's character-quirky wardrobe?) and this surprisingly entertaining 60s romp from Guy Ritchie.
Reader Comments (19)
What'd you think of Spy for this category? You were raving about the hair and makeup yesterday and I think the costumes provided the same service to the movie. Jude Law's tux wins an excellent year for tuxes onscreen. The cat lady chic, Eurotrash villainry, plus that GOWN McCarthy wears! I even think it'd be fun to dress Miranda Hart for the big screen.
You need to finish Best Actress and Supporting Actress, Nat! Those two are the categories we've been waiting for!! :)
The costumes were gr8 in TDG.
Sandy Powell for Carol. The fur coat, that whole look and her entire look of the film steals my heart.
Great piece by the way.
Sandy Powell needs to design for Cate Blanchett on Every. Single. Movie.
It's a shame Brooklyn couldn't make your top 5, the costume design work in that film is my favourite this year after Carol. That yellow dress and green bathing suit especially. But just overall I loved how her style started to emerge and modernize after arriving in America, it charted Ronan's character arc in such a beautiful and specific way.
You are spot on (pardon the pun) about The Man From Uncle. Of course, I'm partial to anything to do with the 60s, so maybe I'm not objective. But damn were those three swinging, baby!
The costume award is of vital importance. Still pissed that Murder On the Orient Express lost to The Great Gatsby. How does that happen? I mean, how does that award not go to the former Mr. Julie Andrews!?
Hayden W -- it was just outside that top 12 but i did love the costumes in that, yeah.
Mark -- agreed. i felt bad putting Paco in sixth but his winning streak at my own awards here had to end at some point.
Rami -- yes please.
Brookesboy writes
What he said.I hope I don't disappoint you too much Nathaniel when I say that I hope Jenny Bevan wins for Mad Max FR. It was just such a departure from her usual type of film, and the outfits are so iconic. There was just a whole look to that film that was visually interesting.
Naturally most will pick the incomparable Sandy Powell for "Carol".
I would pick "Brooklyn" as a nominee over "Madding Crowd" and "Man From Uncle" over "The Revenant" because of the subtle storytelling, and great use of colour in both of those films."Man From Uncle" reminded me of "The Trouble with Mr. Ripley" in the best possible way.
The costumes in CAROL are so beautiful, but I'm laughing at the mannequin on the far right imagining shy Therese striking a diva pose like that.
Kieran -- haha. good eye, there.
LadyEdith - it would certainly be an unusual win and it's on my ballot so i wouldn't mind !
I love Sandy Powell, but she is not the best costume designer in the business. It's Canonero.
Powell loves Blanchett. Her Hepburn costumes in The Aviator were already to die for.
I am team Mad Max this year. It's BOLD!
I'm probably not alone in my wish that CAROL not go home empty-handed on Oscar night. Costume Design seems the most likely win, but even this seems like an uphill climb against the show-stopping gown-iness of Cinderella. And if I didn't think Mad Max was getting a handful of other awards, I'd be pushing harder for giving them the costume prize. #conflicted
Love love love the inclusion of Madding Crowd and UNCLE. Those two plus Fassbender's longjohns in Slow West and of course Carol were my favorites in 2015.
The signature piece for me in Star Wars was definitely Rey's outfit. It feels instantly iconic. Also loved the Phoenix costumes-- especially Alene's entire ensembles and the many stages of Nelly, contrasted with the casual chic of her final scene "friends."
Murtada, you need to set up a Twitter account for @fassbenderslongjohns!
Blanchett and Powell are the new Hepburn and Givenchy. Perfect muse/costumer combo.
I LOVED those swinging 60s duds in Man From UNCLE. It helps that they were worn by that insanely beautiful cast of course, but godDAMN were they fun AND fashionable. I wanted to wear everything. Even Kuryakin's turtlenecks, and i HATE turtlenecks.
I finally saw Carol today. It was perfect.
So happy to see Far From the Madding Crowd included. That jacket should go into a holy trinity of film jacket along with Shakepeare's in Shakespeare in Love and Gosling's Scorpion moto in Drive. I. Want. Them. All.
I'm also a huge fan of The Danish Girl. I found it lolzy that Redmayne's character supposedly had his epiphany while touching the fine lace of the model's gown, but with clothes that ornate, I'd think twice about my own gender myself...