With wins at BAFTA and the Costume Designers Guild, Catherine Martin looks set to take home her fifth Academy Award for her brilliant work on Elvis. Martin’s recreations of Elvis’ iconic style are meticulously and impeccably crafted and play a huge role in the film’s overall aesthetic. The Academy loves this kind of work, particularly when it’s considered “period” design. It also helps that Elvis is such a strong contender overall.
One could certainly say the same of Mary Zophres’ gorgeous work on Babylon. Any other year and she’d probably win in a cakewalk. The Academy usually can’t help but swoon over films about the film industry itself, but Babylon just never caught fire this season. That being said, Best Costume Design and Best Production Design have occasionally gone hand-in-hand. Babylon is expected to win the latter, so perhaps it takes Costume Design with it. But Martin’s precursor success is too hard to ignore. The King is taking this one.
BEST COSTUME DESIGN PREDICTIONS:
1. Elvis – Catherine Martin (Warner Bros.) – BAFTA, CCA, CDG
2. Babylon – Mary Zophres (Paramount Pictures) – BAFTA, CCA, CDG
3. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Ruth E. Carter (Walt Disney Studios) – CCA, CDG
4. Everything Everywhere All At Once – Shirley Kurata (A24) – CCA, CDG
5. Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris – Jenny Beavan (Focus Features) – BAFTA, CDG
Will win: Elvis
Should win: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Possible shocker: Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris