Oscar Winning Costume Designer

As part of our Lecture Series, Oscar winning designer Jenny Beavan took us behind the scenes on the film set. She gave us a fascinating insight illustrated with examples from the forthcoming film Defiance – the story of Belarussian partisans the Bielski brothers, starring Daniel Craig.

Jenny’s work in film has earned her a reputation for detailed and historically accurate costumes along with eight Oscar nominations. For Merchant Ivory she costumed many of their best known films including A Room with a View, Howard’s End and The Remains of the Day. She has also worked with Ang Lee (Sense & Sensibility), Franco Zeffirelli (Jane Eyre and Tea With Mussolini), Andy Tennant (Ever After and Anna and the King) and Robert Altman (Gosford Park). Recently she designed the costumes for the movie about William Wilberforce, Amazing Grace, as well as the BBC’s highly acclaimed production of Cranford and its all star cast including Dame Judi Dench and Imelda Staunton.

She has also designed for television – notably The Gathering Storm in 2002, and her work for theatre includes Private Lives for which she won the Laurence Olivier Award.

Jenny returned to Mill Hill for the Charity Gala Fashion Show, where she awarded the prize for Charity Shop Challenge (funkiest outfit for less than £20!) to Upper 6th Former Sam Lewis.