Oscars 2022: Who Are The Nominees For Best Costume Design?

In anticipation of the 94th Academy Awards, we examine the role of fashion, not just on the red carpet, but in the films themselves…

Costume design is as central as acting to the alchemy of a motion picture. Poor acting challenges our ability to relate to characters; it becomes harder for the viewer to empathise with them and to root for them to succeed. When there is a disconnect with what a character is wearing, when the style is not in line with their personality, their believability is put in question creating a fissure in the viewer’s relationship to the narrative, ultimately making the story less compelling. Not only does costume serve to convey a character’s identity, but it is essential to our engagement with them. As a vehicle of self-expression, clothing can let us into the inner workings of a protagonist’s (or antagonist’s) mind – how they view themselves or, how they want to be perceived.

Costume is pivotal to the constructed idea of a film character and by extension the constructed idea of a film. In looking at the nominees for Best Costume Design, it is evident when watching these films why they stood out to the Academy of Motion Picture. The wardrobes have been expertly executed, thoroughly researched, and importantly, in each case, the clothing has been utilised as a visual language, weaving a narrative about the characters and enriching the story. In each of these films, the costumes crystallize the persona of the characters, set the time and place of the story, and form a linkage between the characters themselves and the broader theme of the film.

Massimo Cantini Parrini and Jacqueline Durran (Cyrano)

This is Massimo’s second Oscar nomination; he was first nominated in 2021 in the category of Best Costume Design for Pinocchio (2019). Jacqueline is an acclaimed costume designer in her own right. She is best known for her work on Little Women (2019), Beauty and the Beast (2017) and Atonement (2007).

Jacqueline West and Robert Morgan (Dune)

Jacqueline is known for her work on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and most recently The Revenant (2015); while Robert has been the costume supervisor on numerous blockbuster hits including, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) and Inception (2010).

Paul Tazewell (West Side Story)

For over three decades, Paul has worked in costume design across theatre, opera, dance and film. In 2016, he won a Tony Award for Best Costume Design for the internationally acclaimed broadway show, Hamilton. Paul has made history as the first African American costume designer to be nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Costume Design.

Luis Sequeira (Nightmare Alley)

Luis is best known for his work with director Guillermo Del Toro, with whom he collaborated on The Shape Of Water (2017), for which Luis was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design.

Jenny Beavan (Cruella)

Jenny is a decorated costume designer who has been in the industry for over 40 years. This is her eleventh nomination for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design. She has previously taken home the Oscar for her iconic work in A Room With A View (1985) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).

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All images courtesy of IMDb and lead image courtesy of Instagram/@marilynmonroe