In about three weeks, the best of the best in Hollywood will be gathering on the red carpet for the 86th Academy Awards. Some categories on the radar that people are interested in are best actor, actress and director. Other fun categories include best song, best set design and in this case, best costuming. Costumes are extremely important in film. Just like the sets and props, the costumes really set the tone for whatever the film is about in whatever time period. In gorgeous period pieces, corsets and extravagant dresses reign supreme or in sci-fi films one might be impressed with the modern and technologically savvy costumes the actors sport.
Last year, the period piece, Anna Karenina won best costume design. The aristocratic styles from the late 1800s created the perfect setting for the beautifully designed costumes by Jacqueline Durran. This year the costume designs up for nomination include five great films that featured particular looks and designs for their actors and actresses to rock throughout the movie. Here is a list of the top five contenders up for the gold on March 2.
image courtesy of Sony Pictures
[new page=American Hustle]
American Hustle featured absolutely fabulous outfits straight from the 1970s. With extremely low cut, cleavage bearing, high-slit dresses for the ladies and slick suits with prominent lapels and ties for the men, the film perfectly captured the look and feel of the 70s. Some of the most memorable outfits from the film included the stunning white gown that actress, Jennifer Lawrence, wore which high lighted her impressive chest and a low cut back. Also, Amy Adams was able to wear the most low cut and revealing shimmery silver dress that went perfectly with her curly red hair. Altogether the film high lighted the sensual and revealing side of the disco age and probably has a high chance of winning the Oscar this year.
[new page=The Grandmaster]
The martial-arts film, The Grandmaster allows viewers to see the beautiful costuming that Chinese costume designer William Chang Suk Ping was able to create for the film. The film’s time period spans between the 1930s-1950s in China. Ping revealed that he had spent a few years looking at architecture in China and collected fabrics and materials to prepare for the film. Overall the pieces in the film are very traditional and exact to the specific time period in which the film took place.
[new page=The Great Gatsby]
Of course any Baz Luhrmann film is bound to feature exquisite costumes, and his 2013 film The Great Gatsby was no different. With such an iconic time period (the 1920s) to work with, gorgeous flapper dresses, feather boas, sparkles and beadwork were present through out the film. Crisp, black tuxedos were worn by the men and all together the film was an amazing show-stopper when it came to the brilliant costume design by Catherine Martin.
[new page=The Invisible Woman]
The British film, The Invisible Woman, directed and starring Ralph Fiennes, is about the famed auther Charles Dickens and his secret mistress. Taking place in the mid 1800s, the film obviously had very specific and gorgeous costuming. Any film that has costuming from the 1800s always has a good chance of winning the Oscar gold.
[new page=12 Years a Slave]
The dramatic true and adapted story about a free African-American man who was captured and enslaved in the confederate South, is a fantastic reenactment of the time period of the mid-to-late 1800s. The clothing that the people wore in the 1800s in the South was very simple yet very proper and crisp. For women who were free, white or had money a modest dress in different colors was common, but for slaves the clothing was extremely simple and plain. 12 Years a Slave captures beautiful the outfits of the time and would be very deserving of the win.