Oscar Blitz 2025 – Costume Design

I am not a stylish man. Never have been, never will be. For my entire life, my wardrobe choices have been about comfort first and foremost, with adulthood allowing for a mix of fandom and snark through my t-shirt collection (which I recently halved by donating a bunch to Goodwill that I don’t wear anymore). When I was a kid, I defaulted to sweats, because that’s what was cheap. When I hit high school, it was casual polos and jeans, with the occasional button-front work shirt. My professional life sometimes includes a dress code, like having to wear long pants and non-logo shirts at ESPN, and donning “show blacks” when I’m on set (black jeans and shirts, though the shirts can have graphical variety). I turned 42 last summer, and for the sheer sake of cooling myself down comfortably, I bought cargo shorts for the first time. I sometimes sleep in my gym outfit of a sleeveless tee and mesh shorts. I have one “club” outfit that looked great on me in 2012, but is basically just an accessory at this point, as I don’t go out much.

That’s pretty much the extent of my sartorial existence. I do have one tailored business suit, and I’d like to buy another (the one I have was purchased back in 2006). I also have some nice dress shirts and shoes that I break out for special occasions, but that’s about it. I do “clean up” nice, but unless a situation calls for it, I just wear what feels good. I’d go without pants entirely if laws allowed it.

This is just one of the many reasons why anyone could say that I’m unqualified to judge the Costume Design category, and to an extent, they’d be absolutely right. I don’t know fabrics. I don’t know how form fitting works. I barely know how to sew, a skill I was taught as a required “Family Life” course in middle school and haven’t put to good use since. I buy cheap clothes and replace them when they get worn out. This just isn’t my forte.

About six months after I moved to Los Angeles, I booked a background gig on an independent movie that a friend of mine was working on. I was going to play a “thug” at a police station. My friend told me to bring “wardrobe options” to set, so the Costume Department could decide what I’d wear, as they didn’t have budget to actually buy or make their own. I literally wore an old gym shirt and jeans, my normal sneakers, and brought along a ratty older pair that I kept for just this purpose. I also brought a couple tees and a bandanna to tie around my head. That worked. A little while later, I was cast as background for Silicon Valley, and was not told to bring options, so I just showed up in a black polo and jeans, as I was playing a staffer at Hooli, a company filled to the brim with tech nerds, and the outfit was appropriate for my “character.”

This did not sit well. It was my first, and only, time being booked through Central Casting, and while I did recall them saying something about bringing outfits to set when I first signed up, that was months before, and they also said to follow whatever directions the casting directors gave me the night before shooting, and there was no info about wardrobe at all. The guy on set in charge of outfitting scolded me but understood my situation, and told me that because it was my first time, he wouldn’t send me home and cancel my booking. Apparently even when you’re not told to, you should always bring alternatives, and black was the worst color I could wear, as it doesn’t show up on screen that well. I thanked him for the information and promised to do whatever he told me that day. He dug through a small trailer for something that fit me, as this being an HBO show there was a style budget for just such an occasion, settling on a very nice Brooks Brothers sweater. He then took my time card, essentially like when you leave your ID or credit card with Home Depot when renting a truck, telling me I’d get it back – and therefore get paid – when I returned the sweater. I wore it for one scene, and then ironically was told to just keep my black polo on for the other that I filmed that day, and that’s the only time you actually see me on camera (Season 2, Episode 7, very early on, when Matt Ross’ Gavin Belson is begging Josh Brener’s Big Head and his team to come up with a revolutionary idea to save the company). My mom ended up buying me some nice sweaters for Christmas that year in case I needed to go through this again. I’ve never worn them.

The only other time that this has come up was last year, when I shot a pilot for a streaming show as on-camera talent. I can’t say anything beyond that as far as the actual program is concerned, but it leaned into my fandom, so I was able to wear my “Oh hi, Mark” t-shirt referencing The Room as a feature, not a bug (I wore my “club” shirt opened over it). Fashion just isn’t my thing. There’s a reason I wear a tuxedo tee in all my Oscar videos. It’s about as classy as I get outside of specific events. I’ve made it a tradition to wear it on the last day of filming any show I’m working on, just as a fun inside joke. I love it when other people can express their personal style, be it through cosplay, emo/goth clothing, or just references to fandom, and if they ever wanted me to join them in such displays, I’d be more than happy to, as long as they provide the actual getup. I like dressing up in costumes and fun outfits, but it’s just not a priority in my life.

However, it is a priority for our nominees here tonight. These six individuals (across five films) have dedicated their lives to this pursuit, and it looks like the Academy’s recent expansion efforts are finally paying off, as many of the modern powerhouses are not here this time. While each of the hopefuls (save one) has found themselves up in this category before, this is the first year that I’ve done the Blitz where the likes of Jacqueline Durran, Jenny Beavan, Ann Roth, Jacqueline West, and Sandy Powell are nowhere to be found. We only have one candidate who’s been nominated more than twice before, and she has no wins. In fact, there’s only one previous winner in the set that I’m aware of, which balances out with the one debutante we have in the field. This is truly a wide open competition with no automatic favorites (though a front-runner has emerged over the course of Awards Season), which is a welcome change from the tight-knit club of perennial contenders.

This year’s nominees for Costume Design are…

A Complete Unknown – Arianne Phillips

Phillips is the de facto “veteran” of this category, now on her fourth nomination. Her most recent was Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, but before that you have to go back to Walk the Line and W.E. of all things. Obviously, she’s worked with James Mangold before, so she knew the look he was going for, and in that respect, she performed admirably.

The trick here – at least I think it was the trick – was to make simple designs that still popped enough to make the audience further engage with the characters. Fashion of the 1960s isn’t that hard to recreate. There are entire boutiques and retro stores dedicated to the style. It’s about conveying the personalities of the characters through their dress. Boyd Holbrook was probably the easiest of the bunch, as Phillips has literally outfitted someone playing Johnny Cash before.

But there are some nice touches here and there that really stand out. For Bob Dylan, he’s mostly clad in dark, simple colors like black and brown, only occasionally donning a more complex design or a patterned shirt. It’s a perfect illustration of the mystery that Mangold makes out of Dylan as a character. Outwardly, he’s unassuming and inconspicuous, just another face in the crowd. His complexity is internal, through his songwriting and performance style. Then there’s Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, given a warm, avuncular wardrobe to invoke the idea of a folk music Mister Rogers. Elle Fanning and Monica Barbaro are given era-appropriate garb, Dan Fogler is made to look like a bumbling, money-grubbing executive, and the people running the Newport Folk Festival are given a sort of hybrid appearance, like they’re halfway between urban and country. This is far from the hardest task, but Phillips still nailed it.

Conclave – Lisy Christl

Lisy Christl has one previous Oscar nomination under her belt, and you’d never guess what film it was for. It’s one I’ve never even heard of, much less seen, and it came out long before I made completion my annual Academy goal. It was for a 2011 film called Anonymous, directed by Roland Emmerich. Rather than being an awful disaster movie, it was apparently an awful period drama, one that pushes the debunked theory that the Earl of Oxford was the actual author of William Shakespeare’s plays. It has a 45% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and apparently apart from Christl’s costuming, the only praise the film got was for Rhys Ifans’ lead performance. Christl herself would lose to eventual Best Picture winner, The Artist. Okay then.

Well, thankfully, she can put all that behind her, because her work in Conclave is tremendous. Like the sets and overall production design, the intent was to be as close as possible to what would actually happen in a modern papal conclave, but with slight license taken for aesthetics and thematic development. For example, it is common practice today for cardinals to wear scarlet-colored vestments for this process, but Christl opted for a deep red that’s more reminiscent of the 17th Century. Ostensibly, it’s because the darker red is easier on the eyes, but it’s also an acknowledgement of the Church’s rich history. When it came to the nuns, some black is used, but the main highlight is a contrast of white and blue, showing them as softer and more cool, calm, and collected as opposed to the hotheaded cardinals.

The adornments also give hints to the characters and their overall motivations. Lawrence and Bellini, being more on the liberal side of the ideological divide, usually wear crosses of simple silver (though Lawrence will don something with gold for the more ceremonial garb). The humble Benitez has almost no accessories at all. On the conservative side, Tremblay and Tedesco have golden crosses and accents to their outfits, with the latter proudly displaying gaudy rings and other jewelry. Just by looking at each of these men, you know exactly what they’re about and how they’d lead a billion worshippers, but it’s never heavy-handed, and it’s always kept within the context of how the Church operates, and how their hierarchy makes appearances. It’s a fine line to walk, and Christl does it perfectly, making bold, vivid, and relevant designs without selling an overt statement.

Gladiator II – Janty Yates and Dave Crossman

This is the second consecutive nomination for this pair, coming off Napoleon last year (they’re frequent collaborators with Ridley Scott), and Yates won this award for the first Gladiator film. That’s a fine achievement, but it also illustrates the main problem I have with this nomination. If you’ve seen the movie, you immediately know why my instant reaction was, “What is this even doing here?”

That’s because not only are the designs basically replicas of the previous movie, the film itself fellates them by building a shrine to Russell Crowe’s Maximus and his armor, with Paul Mescal donning it for the climactic fight. So you’re literally telling us that you have nothing new to add, and you’re nostalgia-baiting for the last flick. So seriously, why are we here? Just because you used different colors for the togas don’t make them any less standard togas. And hell, the armor itself provides no actual protection, as everyone gets killed by arrows pretty easily. It’s the copy/paste manner of death for Hanno’s wife that drives the entire plot.

My guess is that “hashtag GladiDickeTor” wasn’t nearly the success that “Barbenheimer” was the year before, despite eight months of constant, unceasing advertising. Wicked Part One was a massive box office hit, but Gladiator II barely made back its grotesque budget and reviews were in the realm of “barely passable,” though positive critiques were intentionally frontloaded while negative ones were embargoed so it could get “Certified Fresh” status despite falling below 75% pretty quickly upon release. So, while the movie wasn’t nearly good enough to be here, there were some in the Academy who still wanted a head-to-head competition between the two films, and this was the only category where they could make it happen. It’s literally the only theory I have that makes any sense.

Nosferatu – Linda Muir

This is the first nomination for Muir, though she’s worked on all four of Robert Eggers’ feature films. This is also the most “traditional” of this year’s set, as it features Victorian-era suits and gowns. But don’t let that fool you into thinking that this is a more standard nomination. Because of the gothic horror element, there’s a lot more to this than just pretty dresses.

Yes, the outfits are in the same artistic vein as those you’d see in any number of period pieces, but there’s an added challenge. Muir has to make outfits that will show up properly within the film’s cinematography and lighting design. You can make a white dress, but it has to sharply contrast with the darkness around Ellen and not blend into her porcelain skin tones. You can make the Hardings look appropriately well off and financially secure, but you have to make sure the doomed family stands out from their grand furnishings.

That’s the “normal” stuff. When we get past that, the real task begins. Nicholas Hoult’s Thomas has to be clothed in a way that’s practical for the elements he faces throughout his journey to and from Transylvania, but he also has to stand out in the largest variety of color and lighting schemes. Herr Knock has to look proper and dignified when he’s conducting business at the brokerage firm, but still be recognizable when he goes stark raving mad and is put into the asylum in tatters. Professor von Franz has to look a bit batty while also holding prestige and credibility, requiring garments that Willem Dafoe can easily move around in to give his hyperactive performance.

And then, of course, there’s Orlok. Part of his design, in a departure from Max Schreck, is to more resemble a rodent, given the figurative and literal plague rats he brings with him to Germany. Much of this is accomplished through the makeup job (more on that this Friday), but the costuming is also a key element. Hunched over and lumbering around the room, Orlok is weighed down by several layers of worn out fur coats and dingy body suits, making his countenance appear simultaneously bulky yet emaciated, with patches of fur and hair dotting his back. He is an animal, one struggling to survive by feeding on the blood of locals and visitors, but still succumbing to the elements around him. He’s nigh-immortal, but that just makes him look more twisted and evil as he continues to unnaturally extend his existence. He is a parasite, and Muir gets that across quite well through fairly straightforward means.

Wicked Part One – Paul Tazewell

This is the second nomination for Tazewell, and the second one for a musical, as his previous nod was for the West Side Story remake. This is the front-runner in the category, due to the hype surrounding the film, the fact that costuming (particularly Elphaba’s “witch hat”) is an active element of the plot, and because this has by far the most costumes. Whether they’re the best or not is a different matter entirely.

Honestly, I really liked what I saw from the Wardrobe Department. There are just two small issues I had, which might knock it down in the personal rankings, but this would still be an incredibly worthy winner if that’s indeed what happens. The first, as I’ve mentioned before, is the washed out color palette. It doesn’t affect this element as much as it does the Production Design and Visual Effects, but it is still noticeable. When you have Galinda’s room filled to the brim with pink things, the several racks of pink clothing just sort of fade into the scenery. She has more outfit changes than anyone else in the film, but nothing really stands out all that much apart from “pink,” as if she’s a Plastic in and endless cycle of Wednesdays. A lot is made of the line about pink and green going well together, but when the overall color profile is intentionally drab, its impact is dulled to be sure.

The second is that Elphaba and Galinda are obviously meant to stand out from the crowd at Shiz, and they do, thanks to the contrast of pink with black/green, but when you think about it, it doesn’t really make sense within the parameters of this world. They’re attending a school, one that has uniforms (I really dig the light blue motif). Why do they not have standard uniforms? What makes them so special that the rules don’t apply to them on the dress code? I know why we think they’re special, but within context, they shouldn’t get any different treatment. Maybe Elphaba can get some temporary dispensation because she wasn’t expecting to enroll, and thus didn’t pack anything, but this is a school of magic. Just magic her up a uniform. You can still individualize the uniforms (the Harry Potter series showed that off quite well), but they still have to be, well, UNIFORM!

But okay, enough nitpicking. These are still some fantastic designs. I really like Madame Morrible’s outfits, and how they enhance the Michelle Yeoh of it all, and Jeff Goldblum’s suit as the Wizard is appropriately Goldblum. And while I’m far from a fan of Galinda as a character or Ariana Grande’s performance (and overall persona), the costuming did get her sense of entitlement across immaculately. Just like the cardinals in Conclave, the second you see Galinda in the main story (the opening is just a more revealing take on the original Glinda costume from 1939), you know exactly who this person is. Muted colors or not, you can’t fault costuming that so properly reflects the character. This is a person who always wants and needs to be the center of attention, and every outfit she wears shows that. The fact that there are so many is indeed a credit to Tazewell’s skill.

***

So, after all that and my complete lack of personal insight, where do we stand? Well, I think we can safely say that one of the nominees does not belong here, and given that Dune: Part Two was passed over in its favor just feels wrong. Apart from that, though, the other four are all worthy. It’s a matter of decimal points and degrees for me, which has happened a couple of times during this year’s Blitz, so just know that fourth place is most definitely not a diss here. Hell, if nothing else, I can be happy that this is only the fifth category where Emilia Pérez isn’t nominated. We only have 11 total, so I should be thankful for the respite.

My Rankings:
1) Conclave
2) Nosferatu
3) Wicked Part One
4) A Complete Unknown
5) Gladiator II

Who do you think should win? Vote now in the poll below!

Up next, yeah, about that respite… get ready for the most anticlimactic category of the entire ceremony, one that was determined through sheer marketing months ago despite the presumptive winner being the worst in the entire field. It’s International Feature!

Join the conversation in the comments below! Which designs did you like best? What’s your fashion sense? How did I never give myself over to the world of comfort of cargo shorts sooner? Let me know! And remember, you can follow me on Twitter (fuck “X”) as well as Bluesky, and subscribe to my YouTube channel for even more content, and check out the entire BTRP Media Network at btrpmedia.com!