Oscar-nominated movie costumes from The Revenant on display...

I love awards season in Hollywood and am especially fond of the Oscars, that's why it's been a real treat to see examples from all five films nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design on display this year. Today I'm shining a spotlight on the movie costumes designed by Jacqueline West for Frontier revenge drama, The Revenant.

Original film costumes from The Revenant

These costumes from Alejandro González Iñárritu's gritty survival movie were photographed on display at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) Museum in Downtown L.A. alongside a multitude of many other spectacular costumes on February 12 (where they will be until April 30, 2016).

You can also see more of Jacqueline West's design work in these film costumes from The Tree of Life and these movie costumes from Water for Elephants, both from 2011.

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Plus if you're a fan of this Oscar-nominated movie, you can also see more movie costumes from The Revenant, when they were exhibited around the film's theatrical release at ArcLight Sherman Oaks cinema.

Costume worn by Domhnall Gleeson as Captain Andrew Henry

in The Revenant

The movie, which has been acknowledged as being miserable to make in tough conditions, is based on the true story of U.S. fur trapper 'Hugh Glass' (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), who is left for dead by this colleagues after being savagely mauled by a bear during their hunting expedition in 1823.

Domhnall Gleeson plays 'Captain Andrew Henry', the commander of this group of trappers in the wilderness of the North Plains.

Costume worn by Fabrice Adde as Toussaint in The Revenant

In the film Fabrice Adde plays 'Toussaint', the leader of a rival French-Canadian fur-trading expedition.

Costume worn by Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass

in The Revenant

Leonardo DiCaprio has been Oscar-nominated (and is the favourite) to win for his portrayal of the injured Frontiersman who crawled to safety after surviving the brutal Grizzly attack and being abandoned by his fellow trappers.

Costume worn by Duane Howard as Elk Dog

in The Revenant

First Nations actor Duane Howard wears this costume as 'Elk Dog', the leader of the indigenous Native American Arikara, who is seeking his missing daughter.

Costume worn by Tom Hardy as John Fitzgerald
in The Revenant

Tom Hardy plays 'John Fitzgerald' in the early-American Western, the brutal fellow trapper who buries Hugh Glass alive and kills his son, and wears this fur-layered costume in the extreme wilderness conditions.

If you're a fan of the actor, be sure to also check out these Oscar-nominated Mad Max: Fury Road costumes and his Bane costume from The Dark Knight Rises on display.

With Cinderella, The Danish Girl, Carol, Mad Max: Fury Road and these costumes all nominated for an Academy Award this year it's such a talented field that anyone could take home the prestigious golden statue.

The Revenant movie billboard

Oscar-nominated Carol film costumes on display...

This awards season Costume Designer Sandy Powell has double the chance of winning another Oscar, as she's nominated for both her designs in Cinderella and Carol (the second time in her career this has happened). The British designer has already won three Academy Awards, for Shakespeare in Love, The Aviator and The Young Victoria (and she's now been nominated twelve times), so can she take home another golden statue to add to her collection on February 28, 2016.

Original movie costumes from Carol

Carol is a Lesbian love story set in 1950s New York and is based on the groundbreaking 1952 romance novel originally called The Price of Salt, by Patricia Highsmith.

Cate Blanchett stars as the titular 'Carol Aird', a glamorous woman going through a difficult divorce who falls for a department store assistant and aspiring photographer, 'Therese Belivet' (played by Rooney Mara). Things become complicated when her husband tries to withhold custody of their daughter when he learns of his wife's affair and threatens to expose her homosexuality.

Having now seen the movie, it's wonderful to see these costumes again up close, from all angles, and out from behind a reflective display case. Now I can especially appreciate the progression in styles for Rooney Mara's 'Therese' (presented on the shorter mannequins), from when she first meets Carol and wears her comfy coat and tartan beret, to her more sophisticated work skirt suit.




These four outfits were photographed on display at Downtown L.A.'s FIDM Museum on February 12, and will be there along with a multitude of other costumes from the past year in film as part of a free exhibition, until April 30, 2016.

You could also see these Carol movie costumes at the ArcLight Hollywood cinema last November, when they were accompanied by concept sketches from the designer.

Let's wait and see if Sandy Powell can win a fourth Oscar at the 88th Academy Awards this coming Sunday.

Carol movie poster

Oscar-nominated costumes from The Danish Girl on display...

Paco Delgado is another of this year's Oscar-nominated designers showcased at the 24th Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition at Downtown L.A.'s FIDM Museum, and these four fabulous outfits from The Danish Girl were on display on February 12, 2016.

Original film costumes from The Danish Girl
at the FIDM Museum

Under normal circumstances costumes are really important for helping actors get into character and this is especially so in Tom Hopper's film, as the Costume Designer was dressing a male actor (Eddie Redmayne) playing a transgender woman expressing herself through what she wore.

The film is inspired by the true story of 1920s Danish painters 'Einar and Gerda Wegener', a married couple whose lives change when Einar decides to identify and live as a woman, 'Lili Elbe', and undergoes one of the first pioneering gender reassignment operations in 1930s Germany.

Costumes worn by Eddie Redmayne as Lili Elbe

in The Danish Girl

Apparently some of the challenges for the designer included Eddie Redmayne's height (especially exacerbated in heels) and the fact that women were more petite and their fashion in the 1920s didn't really have a waist, and yet they wanted to help create this sense of femininity in the shape and look of the character.

Obviously the right makeup and wigs courtesy of Jan Sewell also helped create the overall look, alongside Eddie's compelling performance.

Paco Delgado also designed Eddie Redmayne's Marius costume in the Les Misérables movie, plus if you're a fan of the actor, be sure to also check out his costumes and props from The Theory of Everything.

Costume worn by Alicia Vikander as Gerda Wegener

in The Danish Girl

In the touching movie Alicia Vikander also gave a stellar performance as Einar's understanding wife, Gerda, and she wears this blue dress at a party when her husband pretends to be her female cousin in one of her first public outings as Lili.

If you like these recreated 1920s looks (which are so nice to see out of the confines of reflective display cases), be sure to also check out these other costumes from The Danish Girl that were on display in L.A. cinemas when the movie was first released.

With the film up for four Oscars (understandably as it moved me to tears and was one of my favourite films from last year), for Costume Design, Best Leading Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Production Design, let's see how many golden statuettes The Danish Girl can bring home come February 28, 2016.

The Danish Girl movie poster

Kylo Ren and more Star Wars: The Force Awakens film costumes on display...

Episode VIII may have just started filming, but there's still so much to enjoy from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, like a closer look at these six costumes from the box office smash on display at the FIDM Museum in Downtown L.A. on February 12, 2016.

Original Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie costumes

At Disney's D23 Expo and at cinemas around the time of the movie's release I've been lucky to already see several Michael Kaplan's costume designs from Star Wars: The Force Awakens on display, but this mini exhibit also features Adam Driver's 'Kylo Ren' costume, John Boyega's Stormtrooper costume with his bloodied helmet and some lesser known background character costumes helping to populate the Star Wars Universe.

Kylo Ren Star Wars Awakens Disneyland billboard

Set thirty years after the events of Return of the Jedi, 'Kylo Ren' is the son of 'Han Solo' and 'Princess Leia' who has been seduced to the Dark Side of the Force by 'Supreme Leader Snoke' and serves his First Order.

Kylo Ren costume worn by Adam Driver

in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Kylo Ren's sinister masked look is obviously an homage to his grandfather, 'Darth Vader'.

Be sure to also check out costumes worn by Han Solo and General Leia Organa in the movie.

Captain Phasma costume worn by Gwendoline Christie

in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Also on display in the exhibit is Gwendoline Christie's chrome-armoured and caped First Order Stormtrooper command costume.

Be sure to check out Captain Phasma's costume in more detail when it was on display at ArcLight Hollywood cinema. Confirmed to be returning, let's hope her character gets to see more action in future installments.

Finn's FN-2187 Stormtrooper costume worn by John Boyega

in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

I've seen other First Order Stormtrooper costumes on display, but it's cool to see this suit worn by John Boyega as the reluctant soldier, 'FN-2187'. The bloody hand smear on his helmet was a nice way of making his Stormtrooper stand out from the rest when they attack the Jakku village at the start of the movie.

Rey costume worn by Daisy Ridley

in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

I've seen the movie at the cinema three times so far and still think Daisy Ridley's 'Rey' costume is an instant classic. The headdress and goggles are practical for scavenging on the desert planet of Jakku and it evokes the look of the Tusken Raiders/Sand People of the original Star Wars. I also love the fact it's feminine, but not exploitative.

Jashco Phurus costume from Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Next up is one of the lesser known background character costumes which help to create the diverse alien-inhabited Star Wars Universe. According to the exhibit signage this diminutive character is called 'Jashco Phurus' and looks like a mashup of a Jawa and Tusken Raider.

Avga Rosene costume from Star Wars: The Force Awakens

'Avga Rosene' is another example, and I can't tell without seeing the film again whether these aliens are from Jakku or the menagerie of creatures from Maz Kanata's Castle. It's background characters which often take on a life of their own with fans (remember all those cool looking Bounty Hunters from The Empire Strikes Back), and it was cool to see some outlandish costume designs from outside of the main cast.

If you like these Star Wars outfits, be sure to check out more of Michael Kaplan's costume designs from varied films like Burlesque, the Star Trek movie reboots, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol and Disney's The Sorcerer's Apprentice to name but a few.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie billboard