As we head into awards season, FILMHOUNDS looks at the oft-overlooked world of costume design. 2024 has resulted in strong contenders from Conclave (Lisy Christl), Nosferatu (Linda Muir), Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Colleen Atwood), Gladiator II (Janty Yates & Dave Crossman) and Wicked (Paul Tazewell). These artists have done an incredible job of breathing life into on-screen characters. In films such as Nosferatu and Gladiator II, costumes transported us to Germany in 1838 and Rome in 211 AD. With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Wicked, viewers were placed in fantastical worlds through apparel crafting. In Conclave, we found ourselves in the world of gossiping Cardinals.
It wasn't until 1949 that the Academy Awards started handing out Oscars for Costume Design. Initially, these awards were in two categories: Black-and-white and colour. By 1967, these categories merged into one. Unsurprising to those who follow these awards, they were (and remain) primarily handed out to movies set in the past or fantasy/sci-fi (sorry, Challengers). The latest contemporary film to have won an award for Costume Design was The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert at the 1995 Oscars.
Due to its late inclusion into the Academy Awards, the groundwork done by talented designers like Adrian went unacknowledged. This is a shame, as he, in particular, elevated glamour in the genre. Adrian excelled in period drama costumes, his work in Marie Antoinette (1938) being a stand-out. With fantasy films (The Wizard of Oz), his touch resulted in the famous ruby red slippers. Underlying all this was an intense desire to make women look their best. His work, as well as the work of those such as Walter Plunkett (Gone With The Wind) and Orry-Kelly (Jezebel), raised the bar for future costumers.
Later, costumers such as Edith Head and Helen Rose came to the fore. During Edith's career, she won a record eight Academy Awards, which have yet to be usurped. She intensely desired to ensure that costumes conveyed facets of the actor's character. One of her requisites was to put the actor through various movements to catch any flaws in action. She was a proponent of using bold colours and knew viewers demanded authenticity.
Many early costume designers found themselves working in-house for a particular studio. Adrian was with Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer, while Edith Head spent 44 years with Paramount. When the studio system fell by the wayside, costume designers began collaborating long-term with certain directors. This leads us to 2024. Linda Muir and Robert Eggers, Janty Yates and Ridley Scott, and Colleen Atwood and Tim Burton are such working couples. Costume design has matured, and we are in a golden era.
Linda Muir (Nosferatu) goes to great lengths to ensure accuracy. Museum visits to view original garments and use standard fabrics (no polyester!) of the day are par for the course. With Ellen's character, for example, she is dressed in a self-tying corset to reflect her socio-economic status. This contrasts with the wealthier Anna, whose dresses lace up the back. Another interesting example is Willem Dafoe's Eberhart. He's a man who refuses to conform to society and frankly doesn't care about fashion. Therefore, his clothing reflects an earlier style from what was ‘in' in 1838.
Lisy Christl (Conclave) took a different approach because her movie is set in the present. Although neither sci-fi, fantasy, nor historical, it is an unfamiliar locale to many. She designed costumes that reflected current-day vestments yet still added her own flair. Like Edith Head before her, Lisy used bolder colours to make the characters ‘pop' on the screen along with heavier wool so that it read better on film. Another obstacle was creating costumes for all the cardinals with their own distinguishing accents. Difficult as they all wear the same thing, she achieved this by using accessories such as jewelry, crosses, and different shoes.
Sometimes, it can be challenging to ensure historical accuracy. It's an obstacle that designer Janty Yates and military costumer Dave Crossman faced with Gladiator II. Dyes were uncommon in ancient Rome, with lots of browns and beige as a result. The film would have read dull, so the costumers added flair to create visual interest. Both have a close working relationship with Ridley Scott, and he's known as a hands-on, highly visual collaborator. During the pre-production process, the team would sketch out the costumes before creating 3-D models, which would be fine-tuned before final production. When faced with the prospect of having a monochrome film, Ridley stated that he wasn't making a documentary and, therefore, some artistic license was acceptable.
Conversely, colour and design play a big part in the fantasy worlds of Wicked and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Who would Glinda be without her pink sparkly dress? Would Beetlejuice be as iconic without his black and white striped silk suit? In approaching the costumes of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, designer Colleen Atwood created outfits with an 80s flair in homage to the original film. Due to many of the characters being deceased, her team gave those outfits a very lived-in feel by weathering the fabrics.
Paul Tazewell took a different tack with Wicked. With a Broadway background (he designed costumes for Hamilton and The Color Purple), he wanted his designs to harken back to Adrian's designs on The Wizard of Oz and the original stage production. Glinda's costumes are inspired by the pink bubble that she transports herself in. With Elphaba, her silhouette is also based on the original film. Due to her black costume, Paul thought adding texture, inspired by nature, to the fabrics she wears was important. Both approaches created stunning on-screen results.
As we close the curtain on this exploration, it is clear that these creators' artistry is integral to cinema's magic. From the haunting authenticity of Nosferatu to the fantastical vibrance of Wicked and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, costume designers continue to shape how audiences experience stories. Their work breathes life into characters in subtle and spectacular ways. Their work must be recognized, and the history of Costume Design must be honoured.
