And the Oscar Goes To
There is “Venus de Milo,” a statue by Alexandros of Antioch, there is “David,” the statue by Michelangelo, and then there is “Oscar,” the world’s most recognized statuette which has graced the mantels of famous filmmakers since 1929. The statuette was designed in 1928 by Cedric Gibbons, an MGM Studio art director, and sculpted by […]
There is “Venus de Milo,” a statue by Alexandros of Antioch, there is “David,” the statue by Michelangelo, and then there is “Oscar,” the world’s most recognized statuette which has graced the mantels of famous filmmakers since 1929. The statuette was designed in 1928 by Cedric Gibbons, an MGM Studio art director, and sculpted by George Stanley.
The coveted trophy glittered magically and was embraced by Catherine Martin, the talented costume designer of “The Great Gatsby,” on Sunday night, March 2nd at Hollywood’s most glamorous night of the year, as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented its annual awards show, better known as The Oscars.
In my research on the Oscar statuette, I learned that the statue is thirteen and a half inches in height and weighs eight and a half pounds. I also was surprised to find out that the Oscar statuette of the knight holding a crusader’s sword is standing on a reel of a film with an inscription which signifies only five original branches of the Academy: actors, directors, producers, technicians, and writers.
Oh, mon Dieu! Really? What about the costume designers, my favorite award of the evening? Well, that intrigued me enough to do some additional research on some of the outstanding nominees who were selected in this year’s costume design category. And although all five designers were honored at the evening’s ceremony, it was Catherine Martin who was presented with the shining Oscar statuette. Carefully getting on stage while climbing the treacherous stairs (oops, remember last year’s trip and fall by no other than the beautiful Jennifer Lawrence, the Oscar-winning actress in the voluminous skirt of her Dior Couture dress?), Martin jubilantly accepted and hugged her golden knight on this spectacular evening.
You may have heard at the past Oscar awards shows that it is not winning but being nominated that counts, so with this in mind, let’s review the five Oscar-nominated costume designers who reflect the culture and the historic era depicted in each of the movies.
The Great Gatsby
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire
Costumes by Catherine Martin
Catherine Martin is a film, stage, and interior designer. She is a two-time Oscar winner in 2001 for Art Direction as well as for the Costume Design, both for the movie “Moulin Rouge,” for which she created spectacular costumes for Nicole Kidman. She also designed Nicole Kidman’s vintage wardrobe for 2008 film “Australia.” Martin’s constant creativity is inspired by the people she works with and the places she visits. She divides her time between Paris, New York, and Sydney.
American Hustle
Directed by David O. Russell
Starring Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale
Costumes by Michael Wilkinson
The Los Angeles-based and Sydney, Australia native Michael Wilkinson has been recognized with numerous awards for his significant impact in the field of costume designs for films and theater, but it is his first nomination for an Oscar. He is currently designing costumes for the upcoming Batman vs. Superman project starring Amy Adams and Ben Affleck. He also created hundreds of colorful costumes for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
12 Years a Slave
Directed by Steve McQueen
Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong, Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender
Costumes by Patricia Norris
Patricia Norris, an American costume designer, faced a challenge in creating costumes for “12 Years a Slave” because there are very few photos of slaves available. But being a history buff as she is, the challenge became an educational journey with lots of research and a rich imagination. Norris has been nominated previously for five Academy Awards for Costume Design for “Days of Heaven,” “The Elephant Man,” “Victor Victoria,” “2010,” and “Sunset.”
Directed by Ralph Fiennes
Starring Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott Thomas, Felicity Jones
Costumes by Michael O’Connor
A wonderfully creative partnership between actor-director Ralph Fiennes and the costume designer Michael O’Connor, who previously won an Oscar for “The Duchess,” resulted in magnificent costumes so perfectly fitting for the story of Charles Dickens’ Victorian England. His visit and study of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s archives allowed him to embrace the period, and inspired and influenced the London-born designer for costumes for “The Invisible Woman,” which will be on view at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Museum in Los Angeles.
The Grandmaster
Directed by Wong Kar-wai
Starring Tony Leung, Zhang Zivi, Chang Chen, Zhao Benshan
Costumes by William Chang Suk Ping
Costume designer William Chang Suk Ping, who also serves as the movie’s production designer and its editor, created an amazing repertoire of Chinese costumes for Wong Kar Wai’s latest film “The Grandmaster,” depicting Shanghai in the 1930s. A Hong Kong native, Chang has worked with director Wong Kar-wai on all of his movies, which offered the designer an opportunity to showcase his elaborate costumes. It took Chang two years to collect the materials, beads, ribbons and lace for The Grandmaster’s ornate and nostalgic costumes.
My personal choice for this year’s Oscar award for excellence in costumes design was Patricia Norris for ‘‘12 Years a Slave’’, but that’s the way the Oscar goes. Congratulations, Ms. Martin.
Well, its was my annual Oscar fun night when I get adorned in my glamorous sweat-suit, relax comfortably on my den’s couch, sip a glass of chilled bubbly, and taste a bit of iced Russian caviar. Cheers and see you at the movies and the 2015 Oscars!
Lina Broydo immigrated from Russia, then the Soviet Union, to Israel where she was educated and got married. After working at the University in Birmingham, England she and her husband immigrated to the United States. She lives in Los Altos Hills, CA and writes about travel, art, style, entertainment, and sports. She hardly cooks or bakes, not the best of “balabostas’’ her beloved beautiful Mom, Dina, was hoping for. Therefore, she makes reservations and enjoys dining out.
By Lina Broydo
