Cover Lisy Christl’s work in ‘Conclave’ is one of this year’s nominees for Best Costume Design (Photo: Focus Features)
Lisy Christl’s work in ‘Conclave’ is one of this year’s nominees for Best Costume Design (Photo: Focus Features)
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Discover the designers and films competing in the Best Costume Design category at the 97th Academy Awards
Since 1949, the Academy Awards have recognised excellence in filmmaking, including the often-overlooked craft of costume design. More than just for appearances’ sake, costume design helps define characters, establish time periods, and shape a film’s narrative.
This year’s nominees for Best Costume Design highlight a different array of approaches, from the historically accurate recreations of Nosferatu to the fantastical, fairy tale looks of Wicked. A costume designer’s work plays a crucial role in the storytelling process, influencing how audiences engage with a film. As the 97th Academy Awards approach, here’s a quick look at the designers and films competing in this category.
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‘Wicked’ - Paul Tazewell
Paul Tazewell’s costume designs for Wicked draw from multiple sources, including L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, Gregory Maguire’s novel, and Susan Hilferty’s original stage designs. His approach emphasises whimsy, evident in Ariana Grande’s pink ball gown, which took 225 hours to create. The design incorporates Fibonacci spirals which add a unique structure to the silhouette while maintaining the film’s fantastical aesthetic.
‘Nosferatu’ - Linda Muir
For Nosferatu, costume designer Linda Muir combed through extensive archives, drawing from 19th-century German and Romanian art and literature to ensure historical accuracy. Each detail, from Count Orlok’s rich furs to the lived-in garments of a nomadic Roma group, was considered to create an immersive world. Muir is also known for her work on past collaborations with director Robert Eggers, such as The Northman and The VVitch.
Read more: Who is Linda Muir? Meet the designer behind the eerily authentic ‘Nosferatu’ costumes
‘A Complete Unknown’ - Arianne Phillips
Arianne Phillips’s costume design for A Complete Unknown recreates the fashion of 1960s Greenwich Village. Of course, this includes the wardrobe of lead actor Timothée Chalamet, who alone had a total of 67 changes. Phillips and her team produced approximately 8,000 costumes for the film. This marks her fourth Academy Award nomination, following her work on Girl, Interrupted, and Walk the Line.
‘Conclave’ - Lisy Christl
Lisy Christl’s costume design for Conclave focuses on the vestments of the film’s Catholic cardinals. Christl took creative liberties while balancing historical influence. For instance, she chose a deeper red inspired by 15th-century robes instead of the brighter modern hue, so that it translated well on camera. Costume details also reflect ideology—the traditionalist cardinals wear ornate gold crosses, while the more liberal characters have simpler silver ones. Her past work includes All Quiet on the Western Front, A Hidden Life, and White House Down.
‘Gladiator II’ - Janty Yates & Dave Crossman
Janty Yates and Dave Crossman’s costume design for Gladiator II expands on the visual world of ancient Rome, highlighting regional contrasts within the empire. Yates, a longtime Ridley Scott collaborator and Oscar winner for the original 2000 film, worked with Crossman to highlight the aesthetic differences between Rome’s gilded capital and its African territories.
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About
Julianna has been interested in leading a literary life since she first read Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess at eight. Before working with Tatler, she was an archive intern at The Center for Fiction in Brooklyn, New York. She is a textbook Pisces who devotes most of her spare time to her crochet projects, watching classic films, and going through her never-ending pile of unread books. She studied creative writing, global literature and art history at Sarah Lawrence College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2022. Toni Morrison, Nora Ephron, Clarice Lispector and Jia Tolentino are among her all-time favourite writers.
Work
Julianna writes about fashion, beauty, sustainability, and the arts. She is always keen on conducting interviews with talented women who are changing the game in their respective fields.
For event invites and story leads, hit her up at julianna.cabili@tatlerasia.com
