The Oscar for best costume design is typically given to a film with an extravagant setting or a film about clothing. This year, the Academy mostly nominated films that fit into one of these two molds. Because of this, the race has remained tight and will likely remain that way until the winner is officially announced.
One may be tempted to choose “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” as the winner. The costumes were designed by two-time Academy Award winner Jenny Beavan, and the film’s plot partly revolves around the world of Dior dresses. That’s two big check marks in favor of “Mrs. Harris,” but the film’s profile is incredibly low in the United States, where a large chunk of the Academy still calls home.
“Babylon” is the choice that should most resonate with the film industry professionals of the Academy, as the film takes place in old Hollywood and features a massive amount of different costume styles from that era. For older Academy members in a nostalgic mood, this is the perfect choice. But these same elements have not been a winning formula for previous (and more popular) nominees like “Mank” or “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
“Elvis” is another show business movie that has found its way into the winning conversation. Costume designer Catherine Martin is a decorated, previous winner for her work on “Moulin Rouge!” and “The Great Gatsby.” Both of those films were directed by Baz Luhrmann, who also directed “Elvis.” And Luhrmann is Martin’s husband. She is a huge reason why his films have the distinct style and presence that they do. Behind every great man…
The greatest living costume designer may be Ruth Carter. She got her well-deserved due a few years back when she won an Oscar for “Black Panther” and she is back this year with a nomination for that film’s sequel. “Wakanda Forever” is another display of Carter’s unique ability to fuse African culture with science fiction costuming, a difficult task that is in more than capable hands.
The inclusion of “Everything Everywhere All At Once” is an oddball choice for the Academy. From police uniforms to fruit hats, and wrestling masks to K-pop attire, this film has it all in the way of costumes. And all of those come in just one scene! It had to have been a challenge to create costumes for an infinite amount of parallel universes and keep them in conversation with each other throughout the film. Even if it loses the Oscar, “Everything Everywhere” can at least say it has the most memorable and creative use of costumes out of these nominees.
The majority of the nominees are previous winners, so the Academy cannot simply choose one of their typical favorites without snubbing someone else they appreciate. Perhaps the old guard will cancel each other out and open the door for a more unconventional choice. Would the Academy dare be so cool?
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