Jenny Beavan


Jenny Beavan is a British costume designer. She has received numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards, four BAFTA Film Awards, two Emmy Awards, and an Olivier Award, in addition to nominations for three BAFTA Television Awards and a Tony Award. She was honored with the CDG Career Achievement Award in 2025. Beavan was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2017.
Beavan came to prominence for her decade-long collaboration with John Bright on creating the costumes for Merchant Ivory Productions. She has received 12 nominations for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design and has won three times for A Room with a View, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Cruella. She has also been nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design ten times and had a record four wins for A Room With a View, Gosford Park, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Cruella.
On television, Beavan has been nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special five times, winning twice for Emma and Return to Cranford. She has also received three nominations for the British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Costume Design.
On stage, Beavan created costumes for various Royal Shakespeare Company, West End, and Broadway productions. She won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Costume Design for the West End revival of the Noël Coward play Private Lives in 2001, and she received the Tony Award for Best Costume Design nomination the following year when the production was transferred to Broadway.

Early life

Beavan was born in London, England. Her father was a cellist, and her mother a viola player. She has a sister. Beavan credits her parents for instilling a strong work ethic. She attended Putney High School, an independent girls' day school in Putney, London.

Career

Jenny Beavan is known for her work on Merchant Ivory films. In the 1970s, she worked on set design for London theatrical productions. She joined the field of film costume design after obtaining an unpaid position to design garments for a small Merchant Ivory film, Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures. Beavan was assistant to Judy Moorcroft on the 1979 film The Europeans, the first 'proper' Merchant-Ivory film that featured precise and authentic period costuming. This began her long relationship with Merchant Ivory productions.
She has frequently worked with costume designer John Bright, who runs the costume-rental house Cosprop, and credits him with educating her as she was starting out her career. She said she was helped by "just listening to him and learning from him, learning the history and the politics of clothing". Since then, the two have collaborated on more than ten films together and have shared six Oscar nominations.
File:FIDM Museum - Film costumes - Mad Max- Fury Road.jpg|thumb|right|Detail of the costume worn by Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road, designed by Beavan.
In 2016, Beavan won her 3rd BAFTA and 2nd Academy Award in George Miller's post-apocalyptic action film Mad Max: Fury Road.
Beavan was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to drama production.
In June 2018, Beavan was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by Arts University Bournemouth alongside dancer Darcey Bussell, graphic designer Margaret Calvert, OBE, and director and screenwriter Edgar Wright.
In 2022, Beavan nabbed her 4th BAFTA, as well as her 3rd Academy Award for Craig Gillespie's Disney live-action spin-off of Cruella.

Personal life

She has one daughter, Caitlin, a theatre producer born in 1985. They worked together on the West End theatre production of Third Finger Left Hand at Trafalgar Studios in 2013.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

;Major associations
Academy Awards
YearCategoryNominated workResultRef.
1985Best Costume DesignThe BostoniansNomitated
1987Best Costume DesignA Room with a ViewWon
1988Best Costume DesignMauriceNomitated
1993Best Costume DesignHowards EndNomitated
1994Best Costume DesignThe Remains of the DayNomitated
1996Best Costume DesignSense and SensibilityNomitated
2000Best Costume DesignAnna and the KingNomitated
2002Best Costume DesignGosford ParkNomitated
2011Best Costume DesignThe King's SpeechNomitated
2016Best Costume DesignMad Max: Fury RoadWon
2022Best Costume DesignCruellaWon
2023Best Costume DesignMrs. Harris Goes to ParisNomitated

BAFTA Awards
Emmy Awards
Laurence Olivier Awards
YearCategoryNominated workResultRef.
2002Best Costume DesignPrivate LivesWon

Tony Awards
YearCategoryNominated workResultRef.
2002Best Costume DesignPrivate LivesNomitated

;Miscellaneous awards
AwardYearCategoryTitleResultRef.
AACTA Awards2015Best Costume DesignMad Max: Fury RoadNomitated
AACTA Awards2025Best Costume DesignFuriosa: A Mad Max SagaWon
Africa Movie Academy Awards2007Best Costume DesignThe Amazing GraceNomitated
American Cinematheque's Tribute to the Crafts2022Costume Designer – Feature FilmCruellaWon
Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards2022Best Costume DesignCruellaWon
Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards2023Best Costume DesignMrs. Harris Goes to ParisNomitated
Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards2024Best Costume DesignFuriosa: A Mad Max SagaNomitated
British Independent Film Awards2022Best Costume DesignMrs. Harris Goes to ParisWon
Camerimage2023Costume Designer with Unique Visual Sensitivity
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards2021Best Costume DesignCruellaNomitated
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards2024Best Costume DesignFuriosa: A Mad Max SagaWon
Ciak d'oro1999Best Costume DesignTea with MussoliniNomitated
Costume Designers Guild Awards2009Outstanding Made for Television Movie or MiniseriesCranfordNomitated
Costume Designers Guild Awards2010Excellence in Period FilmSherlock HolmesNomitated
Costume Designers Guild Awards2011Excellence in Period FilmThe King's SpeechWon
Costume Designers Guild Awards2016Excellence in Fantasy FilmMad Max: Fury RoadWon
Costume Designers Guild Awards2019Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy FilmThe Nutcracker and the Four RealmsNomitated
Costume Designers Guild Awards2021Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy FilmDolittleNomitated
Costume Designers Guild Awards2022Excellence in Period FilmCruellaWon
Costume Designers Guild Awards2023Excellence in Period FilmMrs. Harris Goes to ParisNomitated
Costume Designers Guild Awards2025Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy FilmFuriosa: A Mad Max SagaNomitated
Costume Designers Guild Awards2025Career Achievement Award
Critics' Choice Movie Awards2011Best Costume DesignThe King's SpeechNomitated
Critics' Choice Movie Awards2016Best Costume DesignMad Max: Fury RoadWon
Critics' Choice Movie Awards2022Best Costume DesignCruellaWon
David di Donatello Awards1996Best CostumesJane EyreWon
Drama Desk Awards2002Outstanding Costume DesignPrivate LivesNomitated
Empire Awards2016Best Costume DesignMad Max: Fury RoadWon
Evening Standard British Film Awards2011Technical Achievement AwardThe King's SpeechNomitated
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards2010Best Costume DesignThe King's SpeechNomitated
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards2015Best Costume DesignMad Max: Fury RoadWon
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards2021Best Costume DesignCruellaWon
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards2024Best Costume DesignFuriosa: A Mad Max SagaNomitated
London Film Critics' Circle Awards2022Technical Achievement AwardCruellaNomitated
Online Film Critics Society Awards2022Best Costume DesignCruellaNomitated
Online Film Critics Society Awards2025Best Costume DesignFuriosa: A Mad Max SagaNomitated
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards2002Best Costume DesignGosford ParkNomitated
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards2010Best Costume DesignThe King's SpeechNomitated
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards2015Best Costume DesignMad Max: Fury RoadWon
Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards2004Best Costume Design – DramaByronWon
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards2022Best Costume DesignCruellaWon
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards2023Best Costume DesignMrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Satellite Awards1999Best Costume DesignEver AfterNomitated
Satellite Awards2000Best Costume DesignAnna and the KingNomitated
Satellite Awards2006Best Costume DesignThe Black DahliaNomitated
Satellite Awards2007Best Costume DesignAmazing GraceNomitated
Satellite Awards2010Best Costume DesignThe King's SpeechNomitated
Saturn Awards1999Best Costume DesignEver AfterWon
Saturn Awards2010Best Costume DesignSherlock HolmesNomitated
Saturn Awards2012Best Costume DesignSherlock Holmes: A Game of ShadowsNomitated
Saturn Awards2022Best Costume DesignCruellaNomitated
Seattle Film Critics Society Awards2016Best Costume DesignMad Max: Fury RoadWon
Seattle Film Critics Society Awards2022Best Costume DesignCruellaNomitated
Seattle Film Critics Society Awards2024Best Costume DesignFuriosa: A Mad Max SagaNomitated
St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards2021Best Costume DesignCruellaWon
St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards2022Best Costume DesignMrs. Harris Goes to ParisNomitated

;Honorary degrees
SchoolYearDegree
Arts University Bournemouth2018Honorary Fellow
Girls' Day School Trust2016Alumna of the Year
Rose Bruford College2011Honorary Fellow
University of Huddersfield2024Doctor of the University