On April 16, 2021, we learned of the death of costume designer Anthony Powell. Let's celebrate the genius of this artist by retracing his life and his most legendary costumes.
Beginnings in England
Anthony Powell was born in Manchester in 1935 and quickly discovered a passion for the theatre. At the age of 11, he attended the play Lady Windermere's Fan and he fell in love with Cecil Beaton's costumes. Then as a teenager, he toured England with his puppet show. He also served in the British army at the end of the war before leaving to study at the Central School of Art in London. At the same time, he became the apprentice of artists Olivier Messel and Cecil Beaton himself!
He made his theater debut with the costumes of The School of Scandal in 1963. His work earned him the Tony Award for Best Costume. Until the end of the 60s, he designed sportswear and was a consultant for the decoration of hotels, restaurants and even the Royal Opera House in London.
Between Hollywood and Broadway
Anthony Powell entered Hollywood in 1969. In 1972, he won the Oscar for the film Trip with my Aunt by director George Cukor. He designs the eccentric costumes that Maggie Smith wears on screen.
On Broadway, he created the costumes for the plays Private lives et Lettice and Lovage, both featuring actress Maggie Smith.
Back in Hollywood, he won two Oscars for films Death on the Nile et Tess. He then began a long collaboration with Roman Polanski. For him, he signs the costumes for the films Pirates et Frantic as well as part Amadeus, staged in Paris at the Théâtre Marigny.
From Indiana Jones to 101 Dalmatians
Then it's Steven Spielberg's turn to call on Anthony Powell for the costumes. It is to him that we owe the legendary adventurer look of Indiana Jones. Still with Spielberg, he designed the costumes for Hook, with Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman. In 1993, 2001 and 2003, he worked alongside Glenn Close. First for the musical adaptation of Sunset Boulevard by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Then he imagines the extravagant costumes of Cruella Devil in the 101 et 102 Dalmatians.
He is also the one who created the costumes for Bowler hat and leather boots (The Avengers) – including Uma Thurman's famous latex costume.
We are in 2000 and Anthony Powell has already amassed numerous awards for these costumes: 3 Academy Awards, 1 Tony, 1 BAFTA, 1 César, as well as the Costume Designer Guild for his entire career. A career that has inspired more than one, his cousin, Sandy Powell is also a costume designer (Shakespeare in Love, Le Retour de Mary Poppins).
His latest creations for the Parisian stages
From the 2000s, Anthony Powell returned to his first love: the stage. On Broadway, he is in charge of the costumes for Adventures of Tom Sawyer as well as Anything Goes. In 2004, his costumes shone on the stage of the Opéra Garnier in Capriccio by Strauss, directed by Robert Carsen. This production has entered the repertoire of the Paris Opera and is regularly revived.
Still with Robert Carsen but this time for the Théâtre du Châtelet, he designed the magnificent costumes for My Fair Lady. For his latest creation at the Châtelet, he created the costumes for Singin' in the Rain.
Anthony Powell died on April 16, 2021 at the age of 85. A great artist who dazzled millions of spectators and whose costumes will remain forever etched in their memories.
