Next on our series “IF THE OSCARS WERE TOMORROW,” we will be running through who is leading the pack in the Costume Design category. It’s already clear we have an abundance of veterans vying for a nomination, which will make this an especially difficult race for new designers to break into.
Ground rules to keep in mind. For the best possible accuracy, we’ll be considering not just every film that’s opened theatrically to date, but also every film SCREENED thus far that has both secured distribution and is already dated for release. These screenings may include any of the big festivals from the first half of the year or earlier. Films exclusively screened privately for the industry or press will not count. *
Costume Design
1 – Sinners (Ruth Carter)
2 – Kiss of the Spider Woman (Colleen Atwood)
3 – Blue Moon (Consolata Boyle)
4 – Snow White (Sandy Powell)
5 – The Phoenician Scheme (Milena Canonero)
The masterful Ruth E. Carter will surely land a fifth career nomination in this category, after having won Oscars for designing the costumes for Coogler’s previous two films. The rest of the field is formidable and features a prestigious list of who’s-who in the world of costume design.
Four-time winner Colleen Atwood should finally return to the fray for reuniting with the Broadway musical, this time on Bill Condon’s adaptation of “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” The work blends the exotic, tropical coloring of Latin America, the silky, lavish tailoring of a diva, and the sharp, clean silhouettes of the Golden Age Hollywood musical – to say nothing of the wardrobe versatility required for the zipping dance numbers. Barring a misstep from Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions, it’s her nomination to lose.
Speaking of musicals, Consolata Boyle will contend for designing the wardrobe on “Blue Moon,” Richard Linklater’s biographical take on Broadway songwriter Lorenz Hart. Boyle has garnered three nominations over her career. However, securing the mention may prove tricky as she’s only managed to garner recognition for her collaborations with director Stephen Frears. Additionally, despite the film’s period work, “Blue Moon” must wrestle with the branch’s prevalence for nominating films that spotlight the costuming of female characters. The film’s largely male ensemble could prove a detriment, although the presence of Margaret Qualley may take away some of the burden. In her favor, Boyle can count on Sony Pictures Classics to deploy a strong campaign on behalf of the film.
The final slots should likely go to two previous winners, whose industry pedigree and colleague esteem have brokered nominations for them in the past, despite their film’s failing to land any other nominations. The legendary Sandy Powell finds herself repping another live-action Disney princess film, the chaotically released “Snow White.” Powell was shortlisted for her previous Disney collaborations “Mary Poppins Returns” and “Cinderella,” the latter of which she was the film’s sole nomination. Can she survive the stigma and negative press that surrounds “Snow White”?
Finally, the equally legendary Milena Canonero could find herself invited to the Oscars again for her work on Wes Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme.” The film came and went with little fervor, but Canonero holds the unique distinction of having earned solo nominations for costume design on three separate occasions at the Oscars – the last of which, “Marie Antoinette,” she was able to covert to a win. Not to mention, her most recent nomination and win came from her work on Anderson’s widely celebrated “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” Although you’d be unwise to ever count her out completely, Wes’s films have unfortunately proved to be hit-or-miss with voters and Focus Features’ priorities appear to lay elsewhere this Oscar season.