By Niall McArdle
The Academy Award for Best Costume Design was first given out in 1949. For several years the award was split into two categories: one for black & white films, one for colour. The first award was given to Roger K. Furse for Hamlet, and Dorothy Jeakins and Barbara Karinksa for Joan of Arc
The visionary designer Edith Head was nominated an astonishing 35 times, and won 8 Oscars.
UPDATE: The winner of this year’s Oscar was Catherine Martin for The Great Gatsby
Cleopatra – Renie Conley, Vittorio Nino Novarese and Irene Sharaff
The Robe — Charles LeMaire, Emile Santiago
The King and I – Irene Sharaff
Spartacus – Arlington Valles & Bill Thomas
Romeo & Juliet – Danilo Donati
This year’s nominees are Michael Wilkinson for American Hustle, William Chang Suk Ping for The Grandmaster, Catherine Martin for The Great Gatsby (WINNER), Michael O’Connor for The Invisible Woman, and Patricia Norris for 12 Years a Slave
The Fluff Is Raging 
Very interesting post! A great look back at some great costumes. What would get your vote this year?
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i haven’t seen enough of the films to judeg fairly. Hollywood seems to be on a 1970s fetish these days, so perhaps “American Hustle”. This is the first year in a long time that all the nominees are period films, so it will be tough no matter what (contemprary films seldom win Best Costume Design)
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Some good ones in there Niall, and I would also nominate ‘The Godfather’, for authenticity, and ‘Dune’, for realising the visions from the words in the books. Cheers mate, Pete.
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cheers, pete. both great suggestions: “the godfather” lost out to “Travels with my Aunt”. “Dune” wasn’t nominated.
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