Milena Canonero

Canonero frequently collaborated with directors Stanley Kubrick, Francis Ford Coppola, and Wes Anderson. She has received nine nominations for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design and has won four times for Barry Lyndon (1975), Chariots of Fire (1981), Marie Antoinette (2006), and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014).

• Name — Milena Canonero • Honorific Suffix — OMRI • Birthplace — Turin, Italy • Occupation — * Costume designer • production designer • film producer • Years Active — 1971–present

Canonero was born in Turin, Italy. She attended university in Genoa, studying fashion, period design, and art history before moving to England in the late 1960s. She designed for friends' London boutiques and began assisting in commercials, meeting many filmmakers along the way. By chance, Canonero was also invited to watch Stanley Kubrick shoot parts of the landmark 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and the director asked her to collaborate with him on his next feature film.

Canonero received her first major screen credits for designing costumes for Kubrick's dystopian classic A Clockwork Orange (1971), based on Anthony Burgess' novel of the same name. She created an instantly recognizable character's wardrobe that perfectly captures the film's discourse on class, money, and power through provoking aesthetics, which has since become an enduring inspiration for fashion icons and designers. Kubrick and Canonero continued their collaboration on the epic period drama Barry Lyndon (1975), based on the 1844 novel by William Makepeace Thackeray about social ladder in Georgian era Britain. She and Swedish costume designer Ulla-Britt Söderlund examined original 18th-century attire at London's Victoria and Albert Museum and copied patterns from the collection to produce authentic-looking film garments. In their designs, the pair also drew inspiration from the period-defining art, including portraits by Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds, as well as paintings by Jean Siméon Chardin and William Hogarth, among others. They also sourced vintage fabrics, laces, and clothing from auction houses and private collections. By combining crafted film pieces with original clothing, the designers achieved unrivaled for the period drama authenticity sought by the director. Given the grand scale of production, the biggest challenge, however, was Kubrick's innovative decision to lens the film using only daylight or faint, flickering candlelight. Taking that into account, the costumes had to stand out noticeably both in shape and texture. Canonero and Söderlund won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for their exceptional work. At one point, George Lucas approached her to design costumes for his 1977 landmark space opera Star Wars, an offer she eventually turned down while later considered it to be the biggest lost opportunity of her career. Canonero worked with Kubrick once again on the cult psychological horror The Shining (1980), based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. She won her second Academy Award for another collaboration with director Hugh Hudson, with whom she previously worked on the short film back in the early 1970s. This time they reunited on his iconic sports drama Chariots of Fire (1981), the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics. She superbly interpreted the 1920s English tweeds, blazers, and college garb to the extent of inspiring 1980s fashion trends; such great success led to an offer for Canonero to create a clothing line for men's-wear manufacturer Norman Hilton, for which she received a special Coty Award. Canonero’s next major film was Sydney Pollack's Out of Africa (1985), based on Danish author Karen Blixen's autobiographical memoir of the same name about her decade-long experiences in colonial Kenya starting just before the outbreak of World War I. Canonero faced a formidable challenge when tasked in a strict three-month term to research, design, and produce hundreds of costumes appropriate for a vast ensemble of characters that includes African natives, white hunters, and European nobility. It took her on an intense journey everywhere, from the New York Public Library to the various museums and costume houses across England and Italy, and from the Blixen’s home in Denmark to Africa, where she met anthropologist Richard Leakey, who consulted her on less known aspects of African fashion in the 1910s, especially those regarding the indigenous groups. Beside her well-established screen career, Canonero is known for creating costumes for stage. She frequently collaborated with director Otto Schenk on his numerous opera productions. Those include Il trittico (Vienna State Opera, 1979), As You Like It (Salzburg Festival, 1980), Die Fledermaus (Vienna State Opera, 1980), Andrea Chénier (Vienna State Opera, 1981), and Arabella (Metropolitan Opera, 1983). Canonero provided the costumes and set design for Roman Polanski's 1999 production of Peter Shaffer's Amadeus at Milan's Teatro Manzoni. She also worked with director Luc Bondy on such productions as Tosca (Metropolitan Opera, 2009) and Helena (Burgtheater, 2010). On television, Canonero designed costumes for crime drama series Miami Vice in the 1980s. In 2001, Canonero received the Career Achievement Award in Film from the Costume Designers Guild. She won her third Oscar for Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette (2006). • Illustration — Details of the costumes worn by Ralph Fiennes and Tilda Swinton in The Grand Budapest Hotel, designed by Canonero. Canonero received her fourth Academy Award for The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), directed by Wes Anderson. This marked her third collaboration with the director, as they had previously worked together on The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) and The Darjeeling Limited (2007). In 2020, Canonero designed costumes for 200 singers inspired by styles from the 15th century to 1950 for the backdrop of the Louis Vuitton automn-winter 2020 runway.

Canonero is married to actor Marshall Bell. As of 2025, Canonero is based out of Rome, Italy.

• Year — Title — Director — Notes • 1971 — A Clockwork Orange — Stanley Kubrick • 1975 — Barry Lyndon — with Ulla-Britt Söderlund • 1977 — The Disappearance — Stuart Cooper • 1978 — Midnight Express — Alan Parker • 1980 — The Shining — Stanley Kubrick • 1981 — Chariots of Fire — Hugh Hudson • 1983 — The Hunger — Tony Scott • 1984 — Give My Regards to Broad Street — Peter Webb • The Cotton Club — Francis Ford Coppola • 1985 — Out of Africa — Sydney Pollack • 1987 — Good Morning, Babylon — Paolo Taviani Vittorio Taviani — Associate producer • Barfly — Barbet Schroeder • 1988 — Tucker: The Man and His Dream — Francis Ford Coppola • 1989 — Lost Angels — Hugh Hudson — Costume design consultant • 1990 — The Bachelor — Roberto Faenza — with Alberto Verso • Dick Tracy — Warren Beatty • Reversal of Fortune — Barbet Schroeder — Costume consultant • The Godfather Part III — Francis Ford Coppola • 1992 — Single White Female — Barbet Schroeder — Also production designer • Damage — Louis Malle • 1994 — Only You — Norman Jewison • Love Affair — Glenn Gordon Caron • Camilla — Deepa Mehta • Death and the Maiden — Roman Polanski • 1998 — Bulworth — Warren Beatty • 1999 — Titus — Julie Taymor • 2001 — The Affair of the Necklace — Charles Shyer • 2002 — Solaris — Steven Soderbergh • 2004 — Eros — Segment: "Equilibrium" • Ocean's Twelve • The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou — Wes Anderson • 2006 — Marie Antoinette — Sofia Coppola • Belle Toujours — Manoel de Oliveira • 2007 — Hotel Chevalier — Wes Anderson — Short film acts as a prologue to The Darjeeling Limited • The Darjeeling Limited • I Viceré — Roberto Faenza • 2010 — The Wolfman — Joe Johnston • 2011 — Carnage — Roman Polanski • Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You — Roberto Faenza — Producer • 2013 — Romeo & Juliet — Carlo Carlei — Co-producer • Something Good — Luca Barbareschi • Castello Cavalcanti — Wes Anderson — Short film commissioned by Prada • 2014 — The Grand Budapest Hotel • 2016 — Paris Can Wait — Eleanor Coppola • 2018 — The Sisters Brothers — Jacques Audiard • 2021 — The French Dispatch — Wes Anderson • 2022 — Hill of Vision — Roberto Faenza — with Bojana Nikitovic Also producer • 2023 — Asteroid City — Wes Anderson • 2024 — Megalopolis — Francis Ford Coppola • 2025 — The Phoenician Scheme — Wes Anderson

• Major associations Academy Awards • Year — Category — Nominated work — Result — Ref. • 1976 — Best Costume Design — Barry Lyndon • 1982 — Chariots of Fire • 1986 — Out of Africa • 1989 — Tucker: The Man and His Dream • 1991 — Dick Tracy • 2000 — Titus • 2002 — The Affair of the Necklace • 2007 — Marie Antoinette • 2015 — The Grand Budapest Hotel BAFTA Awards • Year — Category — Nominated work — Result — Ref. • British Academy Film Awards • 1976 — Best Costume Design — Barry Lyndon • 1982 — Chariots of Fire • 1986 — The Cotton Club • 1987 — Out of Africa • 1991 — Dick Tracy • 2007 — Marie Antoinette • 2015 — The Grand Budapest Hotel • 2022 — The French Dispatch • Miscellaneous awards List of Milena Canonero other awards and nominations • Award — Year — Category — Title — Result — Ref. • Berlin International Film Festival — 2017 — Honorary Golden Bear • César Awards — 2019 — Best Costume Design — The Sisters Brothers • Chicago Film Critics Association Awards — 2023 — Best Costume Design — Asteroid City • Ciak d'oro — 1990 — Best Costume Design — The Bachelor • 2008 — I Viceré • Costume Designers Guild Awards — 2001 — Career Achievement Award • 2005 — Excellence in Contemporary Film — The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou • Ocean's Twelve • 2007 — Excellence in Period Film — Marie Antoinette • 2015 — The Grand Budapest Hotel • 2017 — Excellence in Short Form Design — H&M: "Come Together" • Coty Awards — 1984 — Special Award for tailored clothing • Critics' Choice Awards — 2015 — Best Costume Design — The Grand Budapest Hotel • David di Donatello Awards — 1990 — Best Costumes — The Bachelor • 2008 — I Viceré • Hollywood Film Awards — 2014 — Hollywood Costume Design Award — The Grand Budapest Hotel • Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards — 2000 — Best Costume Design — Titus • 2006 — Marie Antoinette • Locarno Film Festival — 2025 — Vision Award • Nastro d'Argento Awards — 1989 — Best Costume Design — Tucker: The Man and His Dream • 1991 — The Bachelor • 2007 — Marie Antoinette • 2008 — I Viceré • 2012 — Best Producer — Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You • 2014 — Best Costume Design — The Grand Budapest Hotel / Something Good • Online Film Critics Society Awards — 2022 — Best Costume Design — The French Dispatch • 2024 — Asteroid City • Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards — 2006 — Best Costume Design — Marie Antoinette • 2014 — The Grand Budapest Hotel • Rodeo Drive Walk of Style — 2006 — Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award • Satellite Awards — 2000 — Best Costume Design — Titus • 2002 — The Affair of the Necklace • 2006 — Marie Antoinette • 2015 — The Grand Budapest Hotel • Saturn Awards — 1984 — Best Costume Design — The Hunger • 1991 — Dick Tracy • 2011 — The Wolfman • Seattle Film Critics Society Awards — 2015 — Best Costume Design — The Grand Budapest Hotel • 2025 — The Phoenician Scheme

• Italy - Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic on 21 December 2015.