Michael O'Connor (costume designer) explained

Michael O'Connor
Birth Date:27 October 1965
Birth Place:London, England
Years Active:1993–present

Michael O'Connor (born 27 October 1965) is an English costume designer. He has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design three times, winning for The Duchess (2008).

Life and career

O'Connor was born in London, England. He began his training as a dresser at the Old Vicand then spent six years in a costume house before deciding to go freelance.[1]

In the 1990s, O'Connor went into the film industry. His early works as a wardrobe supervisor was on such films as The House of the Spirits (1993) and Emma (1996). Then he was elevated to an assistant costume designer and worked in this role on several notable films, these include Oscar and Lucinda (1997), Topsy-Turvy (1999), and Quills (2000). In addition, he was an associate costume designer on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002).

After working as costume designer on several minor British films, he came to prominence with his work on Tom Brown's Schooldays, a TV movie for ITV. He then worked on his most high-profile film up until then, the film version of Giles Foden's bestselling novel, The Last King of Scotland. He then worked on Brick Lane as well as Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.

He came to the attention of the film industry in 2009, when he received the Academy Award for Best Costume Design,[2] the BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design[3] as well as the Satellite Award for Best Costume Design[4] for The Duchess.

In 2014, he started working on costumes for Tulip Fever.[5]

In 2021, he was nominated for another BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design for his work on Ammonite.[6]

Filmography

YearTitle
2001 The Mystic Masseur
2005
2006 The Last King of Scotland
2007 Brick Lane
2008 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
The Duchess
2011The Eagle
Jane Eyre
2012 Dredd
2013 The Invisible Woman
2015 Suite Française
Muhammad: The Messenger of God
2017 Tulip Fever
2018 A Private War
All is True
2020 Ammonite
2021 The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
2022 Emily

Awards and nominations

Major associations

Academy Awards

YearCategoryNominated workResultRef.
2008Best Costume DesignThe Duchess[7]
2011Jane Eyre[8]
2013The Invisible Woman[9]

BAFTA Awards

YearCategoryNominated workResultRef.
British Academy Film Awards
2008Best Costume DesignThe Duchess[10]
2011Jane Eyre[11]
2013The Invisible Woman[12]
2020Ammonite[13]

Miscellaneous awards

AwardYearCategoryTitleResult
British Independent Film Awards2008Best Technical AchievementThe Duchess
2020Best Costume DesignAmmonite
2021The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
Costume Designers Guild Awards2008Excellence in Period FilmThe Duchess
2011Jane Eyre
Critics' Choice Movie Awards2011Best Costume DesignJane Eyre
European Film Awards2021Best Costume DesignerAmmonite
Evening Standard British Film Awards2011Best Technical Achievement Jane Eyre
Satellite Awards2008Best Costume DesignThe Duchess
2011Jane Eyre
2013The Invisible Woman

Notes and References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20090206183434/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/3365404/Costume-design-The-Duchess-and-Brideshead-Revisited.html The Daily Telegraph
  2. Web site: 1981 . Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . 31 March 1981 . 20 December 2017.
  3. Web site: Archived copy . 2012-02-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090717044742/http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/costume-design-in-2008,356,BA.html . 2009-07-17 .
  4. Web site: Archived copy . 2011-11-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111117163101/http://www.pressacademy.com/satawards/awards2008.shtml . 2011-11-17 .
  5. Web site: Tulip Fever. cathedral.org.uk (Norwich Cathedral). 20 June 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140716205148/http://www.cathedral.org.uk/news/tulip-fever-in-production.aspx. 16 July 2014.
  6. Web site: 2021 EE British Academy Film Awards: The Nominations. British Academy Film Awards. 9 March 2021 . 12 March 2021.
  7. Web site: 81st Academy Awards . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . August 15, 2023.
  8. Web site: 84th Academy Awards . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . August 15, 2023.
  9. Web site: 86th Academy Awards . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . August 15, 2023.
  10. Web site: 62nd British Academy Film Awards . British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) . August 15, 2023.
  11. Web site: 64th British Academy Film Awards . British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) . August 15, 2023.
  12. Web site: 67th British Academy Film Awards . British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) . August 15, 2023.
  13. Web site: 74th British Academy Film Awards . British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) . August 15, 2023.