Fashion is a type of art that has always been essential to storytelling, yet costume design is often treated as inferior to other Oscar categories. The Academy Award for Best Costume Design was first introduced at the 21st Academy Awards in 1949 and the category has long reflected the film industry’s attention to visual detail. Today, its influence extends beyond the screen, shaping red carpet style and celebrity fashion. This year’s nominations, ranging from Avatar to Marty Supreme to Frankenstein, prove just how wide the scope of costume design has become. Spanning from futuristic to gothic worlds, the year’s Best Costume nominees show how costume design is a vital part of how stories are told, and one that deserves attention from our generation.
This year’s nominees do not just showcase range, they define the film from beginning to end. Sinners and Marty Supreme were both grounded in history and used costume to reflect social reality and class. Set in the 1932 Mississippi Delta, Sinners, designed by Ruth E. Carter emphasizes historical accuracy to capture the realities of the Jim Crow era, while Marty Supreme, designed by Miyako Bellizzi, contrasts the grit of working-class America with the polished glamour of celebrity culture in the early 1950’s. Deborah Scott makes the immersive world of Avatar using futuristic costuming draws from Indigenous cultures to shape the identities of the Na’avi and Ash people. Similarly, Malgosia Turzanska brings audiences into the Elizabethan era with lived-in realism in Hamnet. Finally, Frankenstein, designed by Kate Hawley, delivers the most striking plays with dramatic silhouettes, bold colors and accessories, creating an unforgettable gothic visual experience.
Among this year’s nominations, some definitely speak louder to the narrative and are able to further polish the characters who wear them. In Sinners, Carter makes color the character: Smoke’s cool toned blues seen through bits of his costume mirror his controlled, business-minded restraint–the “man’s man” of the film–while Stack’s saturated reds feel louder, performative, highlighting his charm, charisma and need for attention. In Marty Supreme, Gwenyth Paltrow’s red park scene gown perfectly encapsulates her character. The striking red hue paired with the black satin gloves demands attention and fully leans into her movie-star persona–glamorous and showy, yet the gown’s sleek and structured silhouette makes her feel distant and untouchable.
But our winner: Frankenstein, pushes period dressing and symbolism to its limit. Hawley captures Del Toro’s gothic style perfectly through her designs. Female protagonist Elizabeth Lavenza is deeply tied to nature—and naturally, so is her everyday wardrobe. Saturated greens, vivid reds, and electric blues are the uniform. The eeriness of goth peeks through a blur of line between organic beauty and the artificial colors and silhouettes: with patterns that are reminiscent of the features of insects; an excessive use of gauzy, harlequin veils; and ornate headpieces, each one-of-a-kind, that resemble all aspects of the natural world from peacocks to rose bushes. Two pieces, in particular, linger: the opening image of Caroline Frankenstein’s striped gown wrapped in bloody-red gauze, and Elizabeth’s mummy-like wedding dress. Both are striking, both unsettling– and make one narrative in Frankenstein clear: imminent death.
Princeton Day students were equally engaged with this year’s nominations, many with strong opinions on standout looks and snubs. Some gravitated toward Frankenstein, with junior Anne Heavers pointing to Elizabeth’s wedding dresses as a defining piece, noting that “the costume designer perfectly captured her innocence and beauty in the gown.” Others were drawn to the glamour of Marty Supreme, with senior Adeola Egbeleye calling Gwenyth Paltrow’s red gown simply “fabulous,” while also arguing that Wicked: Part II was overlooked. “Every look that Ariana had– from the beginning to the end– was memorable,” she said.
In the end, no matter the film, these designs stay with us long after the credits roll. Costumes are proof that powerful storytelling does not lie in the lines alone, but in the life and transformation fashion brings.
