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