No major movement with the race for Best Costume Design in December. The selection of critics groups that award a prize for costuming have split their wins between Cruella and Dune, so perhaps they are our two frontrunners. As I said last month, this is a surprisingly exciting category to predict without a clear leader. The nominations from the Costume Designers Guild in late January may help clarify matters.
Maybe Dune will sweep all the technical categories including this one. Jacqueline West’s work is certainly Oscar-worthy and she could be looking at her first win after three previous nominations. She’s tasked with clothing a cast of hundreds and that kind of scope has certainly helped previous winners like Black Panther, Mad Max: Fury Road, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
I still think a film like Cruella that’s centred on the very creation of fashion stands a better chance here. Costuming is integral to the film’s plot and Jenny Beavan’s designs are mindblowing. While Janty Yates’ work on House of Gucci is gorgeous, the Gucci fashions ultimately take a backseat to the familial drama at the core of the film’s plot.
After muted reviews and a tepid box office result, the wheels of the House of Gucci Oscar campaign have pretty much fallen off at this point. I could see a scenario where it misses out here in favour of a bigger overall contender like The Power of the Dog or Nightmare Alley.
BEST COSTUME DESIGN PREDICTIONS:
1. Cruella (Disney)
Jenny Beavan
2. Dune (Warner Bros.)
Jacqueline West
3. West Side Story (20th Century Studios)
Paul Tazewell
4. Spencer (Neon)
Jacqueline Durran
5. House of Gucci (MGM)
Janty Yates
IN CONTENTION
Being the Ricardos (Amazon Studios)
Susan Lyall
Belfast (Focus Features)
Charlotte Walter
Cyrano (MGM)
Massimo Cantini Parrini
The Eyes of Tammy Faye (Searchlight Pictures)
Mitchell Travers
The Green Knight (A24)
Malgosia Turzanska
The Last Duel (20th Century Studios)
Janty Yates
Licorice Pizza (MGM)
Mark Bridges
Nightmare Alley (Searchlight Pictures)
Milena Cananero
The Power of the Dog (Netflix)
Kirsty Cameron
The Tragedy of Macbeth (A24/Apple TV+)
Mary Zophres
