Team Experience is discussing the various Oscar categories. Here's Chris James and Juan Carlos Ojano discussing Costume Design.
CARLOS: Hi, Chris! I would like to confess that I am terrified to talk about this category. For the last few years, I have just made my picks without actually articulating specific reasons. Maybe I don't have the necessary vocabulary or real-life knowledge in costuming or maybe because I'm still working on veering away from my preconceived notion of "Best" as "Most" or "Prettiest". But that fear also makes this exciting, and to do this with you - huzzah!
All right. Let's get down to business. What do we have here? Two Best Picture nominees, two Best Picture-adjacent films, and a lone nominee from a favourite designer in this category. In the expanded ballot era, a time where a lot of the categories have gone (or in some cases, defaulted) to Best Picture nominees alone, this category has demonstrated a level of independence. Out of the past thirteen winners, seven were non-Best Picture nominees (that's 54%, more than half!). So if you're predicting the winner, stats aren't necessarily helpful...
But we're not here to just predict the winner, right? Let's first celebrate the work that we have in front of us! And I'm not just talking about our nominees because we have this whole conversation to talk about them. I would like to first give quick kudos to some of the great work that's not nominated: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Jenny Eagan) for the intrepid use of colors and fabrics to heighten the individuality of the characters, The Woman King (Gersha Phillips) for the distinctive attention to detail that seamlessly fits its band of warriors and the entirety of the Kingdom of Dahomey, Women Talking (Quita Alfred) for the nuances in the prints that further the enforced modesty on the women of an isolated colony, Blonde (Jennifer Johnson) for the recreation of Monroe's indelible fashion while grappling with nightmarish dread and oppression, and Pleasure (Amanda Wing Yee Lee) for demarcating the established hierarchies within the adult film industry through a feminist lens.
Before we go to the nominees, I'm interested to hear some of your own faves outside of the nominated five.
CHRIS: No need to feel apprehensive about talking about this category!We're pundits, not designers (the closest I come is assembling poorly constructed Halloween costumes). When it comes to moving away from "best" or "prettiest," I like to think of "most character specific." How do the costumes help inform who our characters are and what is the world they inhabit?
I agree with so many of the snubbed films that you mentioned. The colorful design of the outfits in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Jenny Eagan) instantly paints a vivid personality for each character. The most ostentatious of them all is of course Birdie's gowns, though Benoit Blanc's leisure-wear is to die for. Extra kudos to The Woman King (Gersha Phillips) and Women Talking (Quita Alfred) for finding ways to define character within clothes that feel like uniforms. It's a tricky task that both movies pull off with aplomb. One of my favorite things in a film is when a signature costume becomes a central character, always telling us more about the state of the character wearing it. That's what I loved so much about The Lost City (Marlene Stewart) and the central purple pantsuit that Sandra Bullock wears. The candy colored frocks in Pearl (Malgosia Turzanska) opens us up to the strange, violent world of Ti West's film.
Going back to my rubric (what costumes reveal character?), the winner I am hoping for is Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (Jenny Beavan). Beavan's work extends far from the haute couture Parisian gowns that Mrs. Harris lusts after. The costumes also paint a caste system. As a member of the working class, Mrs. Harris is not able to dress with the extravagance of the people that hire her. Yet, she finds little broaches or cover ups in order to bring color and life to her wardrobe. Both the upper class and lower class shine due to Beavan's wonderful costume work. Alas, I don't think she'll earn a fourth win for this film.
Of the five nominated films, who would get your vote, Carlos?
CARLOS: Look at us, both rooting for Jenny Beavan's fourth Oscar win! I think her work in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is a feat of carefully constructed character building through costumes even before its showier pieces. I'm even reminded of one of her first ensembles, the one she wears on the way to her work. The muted color of her coat has echoes of post-war somberness, but her blouse and apron both possess flowery prints. This alchemy already suggests the inner life that is bursting from within Mrs. Harris from the mundanity of her daily life. And look at the first Dior dress that she falls in love with; it's also flowery, albeit with the texture that is the exact opposite of her work clothes. The costumes already inform us of Mrs. Harris' connection with the dress even before she becomes aware of it.
And when she goes to Paris and witnesses her first Dior showing, her encounter with dress # 89 - the red one - is a thrilling moment of character, design, and narrative coalescing into a single moment. The contrast in color is the obvious one (dark red v light blue), but again, going back to the prints. Oh, the prints! Mrs. Harris' combination (semi-loose, plain cardigan, dress with muted leaf prints) and # 89 (enlarged shawl with big folds and geometric edges, dress with sparkling flowers) say so much about her desires as a character, what she's truly made of, and the possibilities that her character harbors. No wonder her journey parallel to dress # 89's is one that reaches a full-circle moment by the end. The film lives and dies with its attention to detail while believably creating its two worlds with clashing aesthetics - the working class functionality of London and the haute couture of Paris.
So if our dream scenario is Mrs. Harris Wins the Oscar, what do you think is our actual frontrunner for the win?
CHRIS: As with most years, this category is a contest for dominance between period costumes and fantasy costumes. In one corner, legendary costume designer Ruth E. Carter looks to win her second Oscar for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She previously won this very same category for the first Black Panther film in 2018. On the other hand, we have Catherine Martin's work in Elvis, full of diamonds, glitz and showy period work. If she wins, it would be her third win from four nominations (in this category - she's also a previous nominee / winner in Production Design).
Looking at the winners since 2010, we see 7 winners that came from grand period pieces (The Artist, Anna Karenina, The Great Gatsby, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Phantom Thread, Little Women, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom) and 4 winners that were from more of a fantasy or genre film (Alice in Wonderland, Mad Max Fury Road, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Black Panther). Last year's winner, Cruella, really straddled the line between the two, blending the 80s punk scene with a new take on a classic Disney villain. For two of the four fantasy winners, they won in years without a super flashy period piece frontrunner. Black Panther was one of the exceptions, going up against The Favourite, and we all know Oscars LOVES royal gowns. The shocking Fantastic Beasts win came at the expense of Madeline Fontaine's recreations in Jackie. However, Elvis' work isn't merely recreating Elvis Presley's famous looks, but adding the signature Baz/Martin gaudy layer that voters love. This makes me believe that Martin has the edge for Elvis, but Carter could very well win again for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Do you agree that these are the frontrunners, Carlos? If so, who do you think wins in a showdown between Martin and Carter?
CARLOS: I will have to agree, but I'm still trying to make sense of it. Not being in the Best Picture race isn't a disadvantage in this particular category. So Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with its massive scope is a threat to win even though Elvis is up for the big prize. It's an effective return to the titular nation while introducing new characters. The film also starts with a massive funeral scene that screams 'COSTUMES' right off the bat. A lot of its elements are repeated from the 2018 film, but that didn't stop The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King from winning. But does Wakanda Forever have the same urgency to be rewarded as its predecessor did? I'm not sure.
Enter Elvis. While most of the film zeroes in on Austin Butler's Elvis Presley or Tom Hanks' Colonel Tom Parker, the film does have its share of crowd scenes that replicate the turbulent cultural change coinciding with Presley's rise. There is also a precise replication of Presley's memorable outfits that works closely in tandem with Butler's work (that "Louisiana Hayride" sequence is Butler's physicality magnified by his costumes). But the film does feel constricting at times, intent on focusing closely on its two protagonists, especially compared with Wakanda Forever's expansive canvas of fabrics and garments.
Oh, dear. The more I talk about it, the more indecisive I get. Maybe..... Elvis? Just because it's probably more beloved than Wakanda Forever.
Yet given how close the race is, do you think this race is open enough that a third film could squeak in and win this in a surprise à la Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them?
CHRIS: The only two movies we haven't talked about yet are Babylon (Mary Zophres) and Everything Everywhere All At Once (Shirley Kurata).
Of the two, I could see the possibility that Babylon takes home the win if there's a split. Based on your note about Elvis, Babylon is the absolute opposite. It's large and filled with extras all in an anachronistic cacophony of loud costumes. Whether you like or dislike the movie (and I belong to the latter camp), it does rival Wakanda Forever for "MOST" costuming (despite some people not wearing much at all). Plus, it helps to have "one signature costume" and the red Margot Robbie number from the first party definitely stands out as singularly Babylon. Mary Zophres has also never won despite four nominations.
On the opposite side, Everything Everywhere All At Once is bold and innovative work, with so many multiverses coming alive more so from the costuming than the production design. Even the more grounding elements, such as Jamie Lee Curtis' frustrated IRS inspector Deirdre, have bold, recognizable costumes. Love for the movie could help it rack up more wins than we expect. Yet, the branch does not often skew contemporary, even if this also strattles the line with fantasy.
Right now, my ranked predictions are:
- Elvis (Catherine Martin)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Ruth E. Carter)
- Babylon (Mary Zophres)
- Everything Everywhere All At Once (Shirley Kurata)
- Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (Jenny Beavan)
However, my personal preferences could not be more different:
- Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (Jenny Beavan)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Ruth E. Carter)
- Everything Everywhere All At Once (Shirley Kurata)
- Elvis (Catherine Martin)
- Babylon (Mary Zophres)
What are your predictions and personal preferences? Do you think either Babylon or Everything Everywhere All At Once have a shot?
CARLOS: Here's wishing Babylon (Mary Zophres) factored in more with its nihilistic vision of Hollywood excess and glamor during the crossroads from silent to sound, but the film underperforming at nominations makes me think this is not top viewing priority for Academy voters. Never mind that the film is also an aggressively abrasive, double-edged creature (celebration/condemnation of the industry). If this was on track to a win, we should have probably seen more push for the film's costumes, especially given that Zophres is still Oscar-less despite her three nominations.
Same thing with Everything Everywhere All at Once (Shirley Kurata). I would argue that this was the surprise nominee in this category. Tasked with creating several pieces for the numerous multiverses (Evelyn the kung fu master/movie star/opera singer, Jobu Tupaki in all her iterations), this is an inspired pick that belongs in the rare breed of nominees in this category: the contemporary fantasy. While EEAAO might be the presumptive frontrunner coming into the Oscar night, I will be shocked if the Academy goes with this one in this category.
My ranked predictions go like this:
- Elvis (Catherine Martin)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Ruth E. Carter)
- Babylon (Mary Zophres)
- Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (Jenny Beavan)
- Everything Everywhere All at Once (Shirley Kurata)
And my personal ranking looks like this:
- Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (Jenny Beavan)
- Everything Everywhere All at Once (Shirley Kurata)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Ruth E. Carter)
- Babylon (Mary Zophres)
- Elvis (Catherine Martin)
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