The costume designer in film (TV or stage) is responsible for bringing to life any elements of clothing to the character that reflects a sense of place, time, or purpose. From WWII period uniforms in Saving Private Ryan, to the Mad Hatter’s hat in the fantasy world of Alice in Wonderland, to the creepy stripped stain-tarnished sweater of Freddie Krueger – the costume designer brings the characters to life through what they wear.
Check out these videos to get a closer look at the impact the costume design has on the visual mediums.
*Crew Spotlight is a series dedicated to looking deeper into the aspects of film production that deserve more attention, the focus of this episode being costume design. Costumes help to teach us more about a character, to better establish a setting, and to tell the story; this video essay aims to expand on the role of a costume designer and how they do what they do.
The Oscar for Best costume Design has been handed out every year since 1948. Fun fact, the first decade or so the award existed, two were given out as to represent films in color and also black and white.
Here is the Wrap’s compilation of every film that has ever won best costume design at the Oscars (1948-2017), well the colored version of these films at least. Grand Budapest Hotel and Marie Antoinette are included as well as our featured guest above from The Gladiator, which also won the award for best costume.
Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth Carter (Black Panther) shares about filmmaking and discusses Dolemite is my Name on this episode of Meet me at the Movies with Noel T. Manning II. With more than 60 films to her credit, Carter has also worked with the likes of Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg, Joss Whedon & John Singleton. Carter is one of only two costume designers to be recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame *Edith Head is the other).
TODAY’s Sheinelle Jones goes into Carter’s home to explore some mementos from her nearly 40-year career in Hollywood.
Costume designers Sandy Powell and Christopher Peterson (‘The Irishman’) chat with Gold Derby’s Matt Noble: ‘It’s like a marriage; We don’t agree on everything.’
The Film Critic 
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