20 Movies That Won An Academy Award For The Best Costume Design Over The Past 30 Years

The Academy Award (commonly known as Oscar) is one of the most anticipated and well-recognized events honoring the best in the film industry. There are 24 categories from which the winners are chosen, one of them is for best costume design.
A great costume can bring an audience into a different world. Perhaps it's 17th century England or the American frontier. Costuming is not just a great storytelling tool, but it can also create some fascinating fashion icons. For example, because of her outstanding outfits in "Breakfast in Tiffany," Audrey Hepburn is widely famous and has become a fashion icon. For these reasons, it is understandable why museums all over the world display costumes from various movies.
In this post, we’re going to take a look at 20 Movies that won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design over the past 30 years. Have you found your favorite movie on the list? Which one of these costumes did you like the most? Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments down below!

#1 2002: "Chicago"

Source: © Image supplied by Capital Pictures/EAST NEWS

Based on the 1975 stage musical of the same name, "Chicago" is a 2002 American musical black comedy crime film. It explores the topics of fame, scandal, and crime in Chicago during the Jazz Age. Rob Marshall, who also did the film's choreography, makes his theatrical directing debut with this project.
The cast of "Chicago" won significant recognition for their performances. In 2003, the film won six Academy Awards.

#2 2003: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"

Source: © New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett Collection/East News

The 2003 epic fantasy action movie "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" was directed by Peter Jackson. It is based on J. R. R. Tolkien's 1955 book "The Return of the King," the third film of "The Lord of the Rings."

#3 2004: "The Aviator"

Source: © Warner Bros Pictures / Miramax/Collection Christophel/East News

"The Aviator" is a 2004 American epic biographical drama film that was written by John Logan and directed by Martin Scorsese. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio in the role of Howard Hughes, Cate Blanchett in the role of Katharine Hepburn, and Kate Beckinsale in the role of Ava Gardner.
The film is based on Charles Higham's 1993 non-fiction book "Howard Hughes: The Secret Life," which depicts the life of Howard Hughes, an aviation pioneer, and director of the film Hell's Angels.

#4 2005: "Memoirs of a Geisha"

Source: © Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection/East News

"Memoirs of a Geisha" is a 2005 American epic historical drama film directed by Rob Marshall. Robin Swicord adapted it from Arthur Golden's 1997 novel of the same name. It follows the tale of Chiyo Sakamoto, a young Japanese girl, who is sold by her family to a geisha house (okiya) and eventually turns into a geisha. The sacrifices and struggles that pre-World War II geisha underwent are the main topics of the movie, as well as the difficulties that the war and a modernizing world brought to geisha society.

#5 2006: "Marie Antoinette"

Source: © Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection/East News

"Marie Antoinette" is a 2006 historical drama film written and directed by Sofia Coppola. It is based on Queen Marie Antoinette's life in the years preceding the French Revolution, as portrayed by Kirsten Dunst. It received the Best Costume Design Award. On October 20, 2006, Sony Pictures Releasing made it public in the United States.

#6 2007: "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"

Source: © EAST NEWS

"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" is a 2007 biographical period drama film directed by Shekhar Kapur. It is a fairly fictionalized version of events during Elizabeth I's later reign. Michael Hirst and William Nicholson wrote the film's screenplay. Alexandra Byrne was the designer of the outfits. The movie was filmed in Shepperton Studios as well as other places in the UK.

#7 2008: "The Duchess"

Source: © East News

"The Duchess" is a 2008 historical drama film directed by Saul Dibb. It is based on Amanda Foreman's biography of English aristocrat and Duchess of Devonshire Georgiana Cavendish, who lived in the late 18th century. In the UK, it was released in September 2008. The movie received a nomination for Best Art Direction and won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design.

#8 2009: "The Young Victoria"

Source: © Image supplied by Capital Pictures/EAST NEWS

"The Young Victoria" is a British period drama film directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and written by Julian Fellowes that was released in 2009. It is based on Queen Victoria's early years, reign, and marriage with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Along with a sizable ensemble cast, the movie includes Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Harriet Walter, Mark Strong, and Jim Broadbent.

#9 2010: "Alice in Wonderland"

Source: © EAST NEWS

"Alice in Wonderland" is a dark fantasy film released in the United States in 2010. "Alice in Wonderland" follows Alice Kingsleigh, a nineteen-year-old who falls into the rabbit hole by accident. With the help of the Mad Hatter, she then puts the White Queen back on her throne. She is the only one capable of destroying the Jabberwocky, a dragon-like monster that the Red Queen controls and terrorizes the people of Underland. To defend the world, Hatter and Alice engage in combat with the Red Queen.

#10 2011: "The Artist"

Source: © Supplied by Capital Pictures/EAST NEWS

"The Artist" is a 2011 French comedy-drama film in the genre of a silent film or part-talkie. Michel Hazanavicius wrote and directed the movie, and Thomas Langmann produced it. The movie takes place in Hollywood between 1927 and 1932, and focuses on the connection between a rising young actress and an elderly silent film star as silent cinema falls out of favor and is replaced by "talkies."

#11 2012: "Anna Karenina"

Source: © East News

The 2012 movie "Anna Karenina," which was directed by Joe Wright, is a historical romance drama. Tom Stoppard adapted it from the same-titled novel by Leo Tolstoy, published in 1877. The movie tells the tragic story of a Russian nobleman and socialite Anna Karenina, who was the mistress of wealthy cavalry officer Count Vronsky and the wife of senior statesman Alexei Karenin. The main character, Karenina, is played by Keira Knightley.

#12 2013: "The Great Gatsby"

Source: © East News

"The Great Gatsby" is a 2013 historical romantic drama film based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel of the same name. The movie focuses on the relationship between millionaire Jay Gatsby (DiCaprio) and his neighbor Nick Carraway (Maguire), who recalls meeting Gatsby at the height of the Roaring Twenties on Long Island, New York.
The movie received a lot of mixed reviews from critics; it was praised and criticized for its visual aesthetic, director, storyline, acting, and soundtrack.

#13 2014: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Source: © Fox Searchlight / Everett Collection/EAST NEWS

"The Grand Budapest Hotel" is a 2014 comedy-drama film written and directed by Wes Anderson. On February 6, 2014, it made its official debut at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival. For its artistry, acting, directing, musical soundtrack, and humor, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" won a lot of praise from critics. It brought about $172.9 million at the global box office.

#14 2015: "Mad Max: Fury Road"

Source: © Image supplied by Capital Pictures/EAST NEWS

"Mad Max: Fury Road" is a 2015 Australian post-apocalyptic action film co-written, co-produced, and directed by George Miller. In "Fury Road," which is set in a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland where water and fuel are in short supply, Max Rockatansky teams up with Imperator Furiosa. They tried to escape from Immortan Joe and his army.

#15 2016: "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"

The 2016 fantasy film "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" was directed by David Yates and written by J. K. Rowling. It is the first movie in the "Fantastic Beasts" series. Based on Rowling's 2001 reference book of the same name, it serves as a prologue and spin-off to the "Harry Potter" film series.

#16 2017: "Phantom Thread"

"Phantom Thread" is a 2017 American historical drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Day-Lewis plays an haute couture dressmaker who uses a teenage waitress, portrayed by Krieps, as his muse in this film, which is set in 1950s London. Principal filming for the movie began in Lythe, England, in January 2017. It is the first Anderson movie to be filmed abroad.

#17 2018: "Black Panther"

The 2018 superhero movie "Black Panther" is based on the same-named Marvel Comics character. It is the 18th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was made by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (MCU).

#18 2019: "Little Women"

"Little Women" is a 2019 American coming-of-age period drama film written and directed by Greta Gerwig. It is the seventh movie based on Louisa May Alcott's same-titled novel from 1868. It depicts the lives of the March sisters—Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth—in Concord, Massachusetts, in the late 1800s.
The movie was well-received by critics, earning $218 million worldwide, and garnered accolades for Gerwig's writing, direction, and cast performances.

#19 2020: "Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom"

"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" is a 2020 American drama film based on August Wilson's 1982 play of the same name. The movie was praised by everyone. The performances of Davis, Boseman, and Turman, as well as the costume design and production qualities, were praised by the critics. According to the American Film Institute, it is among the top 10 movies of 2020.

#20 2021: "Cruella"

"Cruella" is a 2021 American crime comedy film based on Dodie Smith's 1956 novel "The Hundred and One Dalmatians" and the character Cruella de Vil. It is the third live-action movie of the "101 Dalmatians" franchise and serves as the original tale as well as a reboot. The movie, which is set in London in the 1970s amid the punk rock movement, focuses on ambitious fashion designer Estella Miller. (who will become the Cruella de Vil)