1999-2011 My Picks For Best Costume Designs

I thought it would be fun to compose a list of the movies with the best costume design for every from 1999-2011. The best designed film is in bold text.


1999 Nominees

Anna and The King (Jenny Beaven)

Sleepy Hollow (Colleen Atwood)

Sunshine (Györgyi Szakács )
The Talented Mr. Ripley (Gary Jones and Ann Roth)
Topsy Turvy (Lindy Hemming)

2000 Nominees
Almost Famous (Betsy Heimann)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Timmy Yip)
Gladiator (Janty Yates)
The Golden Bowl (John Bright)
House of Mirth, The (Monica Howe)

2001 Nominees

The Affair of The Necklace (Milena Canonero)
Bride of The Wind (Shuna Hardwood)
Gosford Park (Jenny Beaven)
The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring (Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor)
Moulin Rouge (Catherine Martin)

2002 Nominees

Catch Me If You Can (Mary Zorphes)
Chicago (Colleen Atwood)
Frida (Julie Weiss)
The Hours (Ann Roth)
The Lady and The Duke (Pierre-Jean Larroque)

2003 Nominees

Cold Mountain (Ann Roth and Carlo Poggioli)
Girl with a Pearl Earring (Dien van Straalen)
The Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King (Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor)
Seabiscuit (Judianna Makovsky)
Sylvia (Sandy Powell)

2004 Nominees
The Aviator (Sandy Powell)
House of Flying Daggers (Emi Wada)
Phantom of The Opera (Alexandra Byrne)
Vanity Fair (Beatrix Aruna Pasztor)
A Very Long Engagement (Madeline Fontaine)

2005 Nominees

Memoirs of Geisha (Colleen Atwood)
Mrs. Henderson Presents (Sandy Powell)
The New World ( Jacqueline West)
Pride and Prejudice (Jacqueline Durran)
Walk The Line (Arianne Phillips)

2006 Nominees

Curse of The Golden Flower (Yee Chung Man)
Hollywoodland (Julie Weiss)
Marie Antoinette (Milena Canonero)
The Painted Veil (Ruth Myers)
The Queen (Consolata Boyle)
 
2007 Nominees
 
Across The Universe (Albert Wolsky)
Atonement (Jacqueline Durran)
Elizabeth The Golden Age (Alexandra Byrne )
Lust, Caution (Lai Pan)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Colleen Atwood)

2008 Nominees

Australia (Catherine Martin)
Changeling (Deborah Hopper)
The Duchess (Michael O'Connor)
Revolutionary Road (Albert Wolsky)
Savage Grace ( Gabriela Salaverri)

 

2009 Nominees

 

Bright Star (Janet Patterson)
Cheri (Consolata Boyle)
Inglourious Basterds (Anna Biedrzycka-Sheppard)

A Single Man (Arianne Phillips)
The Young Victoria (Sandy Powell)

 

2010 Nominees

 

Alice in Wonderland (Colleen Atwood)
Black Swan (Amy Westcott and Ballet Costumes Rodarte)
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (Chattoune & Fab)
I am Love (Antonella Cannarozzi)
Made in Dagenham (Louise Stjernsward)

2011 Nominees

The Help (Sharen Davis)
Hugo (Sandy Powell)
Jane Eyre (Michael O'Connor)
W.E. (Arianne Phillips)
Water For Elephants (Jacqueline West)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Costume Design in 2012

The Best Costume Designs of The Year

 

 

MIRROR MIRROR (Costumes By EIKO ISHIOKA) (WINNER!)



 

 

(Photo Credits: Costumersguided.com and beyondhollywood.com)

"Eiko Ishioda who died sadly this year created some of the greatest costume designs to have ever grace the film screen. The costumes are colorful and full of life. Eiko mixed fantasy and period and the results are great."
 

SPARKLE (Costumes by RUTH CARTER)

(Photo Credit: Allmoviephoto.com)

"Ruth Carter captures the late 1960's to perfection. The Designs are fun and stylish.

 

A ROYAL AFFAIR (Costumes by MANNON RASMUSSEN)

 

(Photo Credit: Imdb.com)

 

"The Costumes are extremely beautiful. What more can I say?  The 18th Century is my favorite period in fashion."

 

ANNA KARENINA (Costumes by JACQUELINE DURRAN)

 

"Very stylized and beautiful. Durran mixed the fashions of the 1870's and the 1950's. The costumes are grand and theatrical."

 

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTS MAN (Costumes by COLLEEN ATWOOD)

 

 

"Colleen Atwood designs are beautiful and strange at the same time. The wardrobe for Queen Ravenna is so beautiful and yet so dark"

 

 

MY OSCAR NOMINEES PREDICTIONS

 

• ANNA KARENINA (Costumes by JACQUELINE DURRAN)
• CLOUD ATLAS (Costumes by KYM BARRETT and PIERRE-YVES GAYRAUD)
• LES MISERABLES (Costumes by PACO DELGADO)
• LINCOLN (Costumes by JOANNA JOHNSTON)
• A ROYAL AFFAIR (Costumes by MANNON RASMUSSEN)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top 20 Most Fashionable Films of All-Time

I made a list of the best costumed films of all-time. None of the films of this list are costume dramas at all, they feature memorable clothes. Looking back these films shows a memorable look of  the fashion of the past. All these films are some of the most stylish you will ever watch.

01. Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) Costumes by Edith Head and Gowns by Givenchy

(Photo Credit: listal.com)

"No Single actress influenced women's fashion as much as Audrey Hepburn. This movie is pure style. You have Audrey Hepburn to thank for popularizing The Little Black Dress."

 

02. Bell de Jour (1967) Wardrobe by Yves Saint Laurent

(Photo Credit: Dvdbeaver.com)

"Yves Saint Laurents Wardrobe for Catherine Deneuve is so chic it hurts. Simple and yet stylish as hell."

 

03. The Red Shoes (1948) Costumes by Hein Herckroth and Gowns by Jacques Fath and Carven

(Photo Credit: Themoviehistoryblog.com)

"The Film that made every little girl want to be a ballerina and hell even I wanted to be a dancer after seeing this film. The Gowns that Moira Shearer wears are chic and so are her casual outfits."

 

03. Rosemary's Baby (1968) Costumes by Anthea Sylbert

(Photo Credit: Dvdbeaver.com)

"Call me a sick bastard I don't care. Mia Farrow's wardrobe in this film is so chic and really defined the late sixties for me fashion wise. Love the fashions in this film."

 

04. Darling (1965) Costumes by Julie Harris

(Photo Credit: Flickr.com)

"As you can tell I love the 1960's very much fashion wise. Julie Christie wardrobe in Darling is so great. It's sexy and stylish."

 

05. Now, Voyager (1942) Costumes by Orry Kelly

(Photo Credit: impassionedcinema.com)

"Bette Davis goes from frumpy to chic. Her wardrobe is stylish and I can't say more."

 

06. I am Love (2009)  Costumes by Antonella Cannarozzi and Wadrobe for Tilda Swinton by Jill Sander

(Photo Credit: Jimhalterman.com)

"I am not fan of most fashion featured in films made today but the wardrobe in this film is so brilliant. The clothes are not only chic but they say a lot about the characters. Modern costume design can be so great in the hands of a talented group of people."

 

07. Rear Window (1954) Costumes by Edith Head

(Photo Credit:doctormacro.com)

"Grace Kelly is 2nd to Audrey Hepburn in the biggest styles icons of the 1950's. Her Wardrobe in Rear Window is part of cinematic history. It is lovely." 

 

08. Sabrina (1954) Costumes by Edith Head and Audrey Hepburn's Wardrobe by Givenchy

(Photo Credit: doctormacro.com)

"My Favorite Wardrobe of any Audrey Hepburn Film. If you only see on of her Films for clothes see this one."

 

09. Funny Face (1957) Costume by Edith Head and Audrey Hepburn's Wadrobe by Givenchy

(Photo Credit: Doctormarco.com)

"I feel like I am being incredibly biased but no woman will ever wear close like Hepburn. The women is the queen of fashion. Her clothes in Funny Face are Brilliant."

10. The Swimming Pool (1969)  Costumes by André Courrèges

(Photo Credit: Bluray.com)

"This film features two of the biggest fashion Icons of the 1960's (Jane Birkin and Romy Schneider. The clothes are chic and show the transition of the fashions from the late 1960's to 1970's."

 

11. Shall We Dance (1937) Gowns by Irene

(Photo Credit: allmoviephot.com)

"The Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire movies always have interesting fashions but this title is my favorite."

 

12. Swing Time (1936) Costumes by Bernard Newman

"For me the movies of Gingers Rogers and Fred Astaire are an escape into the 1930's. I really need to re watch all the movies they made together."

 

13. L'Avventura (1960) Costumes by Adriana Berselli

(Photo Credit: bfi.org.uk)

"The fashion in Italian films from the 1960's is always great. In this film the clothes are chic and simple."

 

14. Bonjour tristesse (1958) Costumes by May Walding and Gowns by Givenchy

(Photo Credit: marielscastle.com)

"The Gowns by Givenchy are extremely beautiful and chic. A great look at Europe in the late 1950's."

 

 

16. Imitation of life (1959) Gowns by Bill Thomas



(Photo Credit: drmarco.com)

"One you think of the 1950's you can't help but think of the great fashion in the films of Douglas Sirk. The costumes in this film are glamours and look like they cost a fortune."

 

17. American Gigolo (1980) Wardrobe by Giorgio Armani

(Photo Credit: movieandfashion.tumblr.com)

"Richard Gere has the greatest clothes I have ever seen a male lead have in my life. This film is a showcase for men's fashion."

 

18.  Breathless (1960) (No Costume Designer)

(Photo Credit: Vogue.it)

"I have an obsession with stripes. There is noting but stripes in the clothes get the picture."

 

19. The Long, Hot Summer (1958) Costumes by Adele Palmer

(Photo Credit: blogs.whatsontv.co.uk)

"Captures the style of small town America in the 1950's. Great costume design."

 

20. Black Swan (2009) Costumes by Amy Westscott and Ballet Outfits by Rodarte

(Photo Credit: Vanityfair.com)

"The ballet outfits in this movie will become iconic. This film made Ballet clothes look chic as hell."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top 20 Greatest Costumed Films

I first became interested in costume design when I was twelve years old. I have always loved history and I have always loved films. Over the years I have watched many films that have great costumes. They are not great because they are beautiful but because they also make you feel as if you are traveling to a different time period.  Costume designers are storytellers. The clothes the actors wear must say something about the character and also within reason be faithful to the period in which the character lives. I am a sucker for beautiful dresses and love the beauty of the past. I sometimes feel as if I was born in the wrong decade or century. So here is my list of twenty films that really are the cream of the crop of costume design.

01. Marie Antoinette (2006)  Costumes by Milena Canonero

(Photo Credit: Costumersguide.com)

Milena Canonero's  designs for the film are some of the best to have ever graced the film screen. The 18th Century is one of my favorite  periods of fashion. The costumes are like candy. They are mostly in pastels and  very stylized."

 

02. Velvet Goldmine (1998) Costumes by Sandy Powell

(Photo Credit: Dvdbeaver.com)

"The 1970's is one of my favorite periods in fashion. Yes it is over the top but so fun. Sandy Powell's Designs in Velvet Goldmine highlight the ridiculousness and fun of decade."

 

03. The Slipper and The Rose (1975) Costumes by Julie Harris

 

(Photo Credit: milliesmoviestowatch.blogspot.com)

"Beautifully costumed and brightly as well. The costumes are very fairytale like with a rococo twist. I love the color palette and the over the top opulence."

 

04. Frida (2002) Costumes by Julie Weiss



"Julie Weiss captures effortlessly the fashions of the 1920's -1950's. The costumes are character driven and accurate to the time periods. Love seeing clothes from the past with a Mexican flair."

 

05. Mirror Mirror (2012) Costumes by Eiko Ishioka

(Photo Credit: Costumersguide.com)

"Eiko Ishioda is one of the greatest costume designers who ever lived. This is her finest work. It is fantasy with period influences. Colorful storytelling."

 

06. Bugsy (1991) Costumes by Albert Wolsky

(Photo Credit: Sonymoviechannel.com)

"Albert Wolsky captures the 1940's to perfection. The costumes are glamours but also very well picked for the characters. The clothes make you feel as if you are actually in the 1940's"

 

07. The Great Gatsby (1974) Costumes by Theoni V. Aldredge

(Photo Credit: imdb.com)

"Chic and Elegant. Some of the best of in the best costume design in a film set in The Jazz Age"

 

08. A Handful of Dust (1988) Costumes by Jane Robinson

(Photo Credit: Vanityfair.com)

"Extremely elegant and accurate look at the 1930's in England. Very stylish too."

 

09. The Duchess (2008) Costumes by Michael O'Connor

(Photo Credit: Costumersguide.com)

"Not only very sumptuous but also from what I heard very historically accurate. The costumes show the transition from the early 18th Century to the late with such ease."

 

10. The Age Of Innocence (1993) Costumes by  Gabriella Pescucci

(Photo Credit: Costumersguide.com)

"Some of the most beautiful Victorian costumes I have ever seen. Really captures New York in the 1870's perfectly."

 

11. Gigi (1958) Costumes by Cecil Beaton

(Photo Credit: Dvdbeaver.com)

"Cecil Beaton is one of the greatest costume designers who ever lived. His designs for Gigi capture the beauty of Paris in the the turn of the century."

 

12. Dangerous Liaisons (1988) Costumes by James Acheson

(Photo Credit: Costumecaptures.com)

"Captures the Rococo Period to perfection. It is costumed so beautifully."

 

13. Death on The Nile (1978) Costumes by Anthony Powell

(Photo Credit: thefancarpet.com)

"The costumes are not only lovely but they are character driven. Different social classes are covered and personalities are covered."

 

14. Ludwig (1972) Costumes by Piero Tosi

(Photo Credit: emmanuel.denis.free.fr)

"Beautiful and historically accurate. The costumes are so perfect."

 

15. Little Women (1994) Costumes by Colleen Atwood

(Photo Credit: Costumecaptures.com)

"Colleen Atwood Designs are perfect. She captures the late 19th Century in America with perfection. Little Women features costumes from diffrent social classes and types of characters young and old."

 

16.  Titanic (1997) Costumes by Deborah Lynn Scott

(Photo Credit: Costumecaptures.com)

"The costumes are iconic and very beautiful. The costumes are a great look at the Edwardian Period."

 

17. The Color Purple (1985) Costumes by Aggie Guerard Rodgers

(Photo Credit: bigmediavandal.blogspot.com)

"Some of the best costume design in a film ever. Rodgers captures many decades of fashion in the south. It is rare to see a costume drama with a large African American cast."

 

18. Australia (2008) Costumes by Catherine Martin

(Photo Credit: Nicolesmagic.com)

"Beautiful and over the top. The costumes say a lot about the characters and are the best 1930's era costumes I have ever seen."

 

19. Gone With The Wind (1939)  Costumes by Walter Plunkett

(Photo Credit: Costumersguide.com)

"Iconic and very beautiful. The costumes are part of film history."

 

20. The Portrait of a Lady (1996) Costumes by Janet Patterson

(Photo Credit:Costumersguide.com)

"A beautiful look at the 1870's. The costumes are just so perfect and speak volumes about the characters who wear them."

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 







 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

A New Year

what can I say it has been a pretty interesting year not really a happy one for me. I guess I need a fresh start as most the world does. I have never been good at keeping up with blogs  I tend to lose interesting in  things easily. Costume Design is something that I feel passionate about. It is a nerdy obsession. So I decided I am going to make an effort to keep up with this blog. As a fan of costume design, my tastes in costumes has matured an grown. Periods and eras I never cared for now I love or can see the beauty in  them.In my opinion a good costume designer says something about the characters. Costume designers are story tellers who tell stories with clothes like film makers do with film. So lets see where this goes :)