Expertise:

 

Colleen Atwood is an Academy Award-winning costume designer specialising particularly in creating clothing for movies that are out of the ordinary, creating designs that are highly creative, vibrant stand out pieces. Her unforgettable designs range from period costumes to low key clothing for more character driven films.

Colleen Atwood's main objective in designing costumes is to evoke the personalities of characters, atmosphere of the period, guide storylines and make a statement, she excels in this repeatedly with over fifty movies under her belt. Her expertise is not only restricted to film with her designs seeping into historical and contemporary dramas to musicals to adult, circus designs, performers, singers and juvenile fantasies.

Colleen Atwood is exceptionally well at giving attention to detail such as material choice, colour, line, shape etc. allowing her costumes to extend on the character and deepening the delivery of information to the audience. Her expertise is evident in the movies she has designed for such as Alice in Wonderland, Snow White & the Huntsman, Edward Scissorhands, Dark Shadows, Chicago just to name a few of her most popular works. These films display her countless costumes that are highly unique, complicated, theme appropriate and eye catching.

 

 

 

Training & Experience:

 

Colleen Atwood born on September 25, 1948 in Washington has come along way and encountered various training and experiences particularly in the fashion industry before coming to fame as a renowned costume designer. Her first training experience was as a fashion advisor and consultant in Seattle in the 1970's where she began her career in the industry.

Colleen Atwood later moved to New York City where she attended NYU'S Film School and asissted production designer Patrizia von Brandenstein on the film "Ragtime" in 1981. She also gained experience by working for the NBC's "Saturday Night Live" along with several small screen productions that featured her costume designs.

She then began to work more closely within costume design particularly for theatre and film working on Sting's Bring on the Night World Tour in 1985 where she received praise for her work, initialising her place in the costume desing world. Colleen Atwood also gained deeper experience by working as the lead costume designer for the Circus Ringling Bros., Barnum Bailey, the band My Chemical Romance and Elton John.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her new fame then developed into a long list of over fifty major motion pictures from 1984 til present cementing her place in the industry and giving her an extensive amount of experience and training that makes her one of the best costume designers.

 

 

Current Position in the Workforce:

 

“I am designing a handbag collection, and looking forward to doing a collection of clothing in the future.” -Colleen Atwood

 

Colleen Atwood's expertise is obviously centred in the world of costume design however, recently within partnership with high-end denim vets Citizens of Humanity she has designed a range of high end handbags and clutches. Her first collection resembles Colleen Atwood's preferred style with hints of quirkiness with pops of colour and contrasting patterns.

 

This new voyage into design shows Atwood's obvious skill in design and her versatility in her skills, obviously thanks to her extensive experience in the field. The collection of handbags will be officially available in October 2014 with a prediction of many more to come from the talented designer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although Colleen Atwood has taken new direction in her design, her career as a costume designer is not at an end with her beginning work on Through The Looking Glass, the sequel to Alice in Wonderland.

 

 

Life Achievements:

 

 

Colleen Atwood's designs have granted her three dozen honours consisting of various awards throughout her career.

 

 

Academy Awards

• Nominated: Best Costume Design, Little Women (1994)

• Nominated: Best Costume Design, Beloved (1998)

• Nominated: Best Costume Design, Sleepy Hollow (1999)

• Won: Best Costume Design, Chicago (2002)

• Nominated: Best Costume Design, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

• Won: Best Costume Design, Memoirs of a Geisha (2006)

• Nominated: Best Costume Design, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

• Nominated: Best Costume Design, Nine (2009)

• Won: Best Costume Design, Alice in Wonderland (2010)

• Nominated: Best Costume Design, Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

BAFTA Awards

• Nominated: Best Costume Design, Edward Scissorhands (1991)

• Nominated: Best Costume Design, Little Women (1994)

• Won: Best Costume Design, Sleepy Hollow (1999)

• Nominated: Best Costume Design, Planet of the Apes (2001)

• Nominated: Best Costume Design, Chicago (2002)

• Won: Best Costume Design, Memoirs of a Geisha (2006)

• Nominated: Best Costume Design, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

• Won: Best Costume Design, Alice in Wonderland (2010)

• Nominated: Best Costume Design, Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

 

 

Another major achievement was being named Costume Designer of the Year at the 2005 Hollywood Film Festival followed by winning the Career Achievement Award from the Costume Designer's Guild the next year.