New Zealand costume designer adds Oscar to trophy case

The golden statue joins the Bafta award that she bagged last month for the same film.

“On behalf of myself and the amazing team that I work with – the artisans, the alchemists, the dream weavers – we are so grateful to the Academy for recognising our craft,” Hawley said in accepting her award on Monday.

“I’m so so grateful and thank you very much for recognising our craft.”

When Hawley signed on forFrankenstein her third collaboration with director del Toro, she knew it would be special, she previously told RNZ’s Nine to Noon.

“I can really look back on it and be very thankful for the project, it was a wonderful project to be on, it was a very, very special collaboration.”

Hawley, who studied at the Wellington School of Design before being trained at London’s Motley School of Theatre Design, says the adaption of Mary Shelley’s gothic classic was a project long in the making for director del Toro.

The script, she says, is her “Bible”, the starting point for her costume ideas.

“That first few precious moments you get to read that script, I try and lock myself away and just be in the world that they’re creating and try and visualise what it is my director’s trying to do.”

Del Toro’s script for Frankenstein was particularly evocative, she says.

“I think the thing that inspired me most was the tone; there’s this beautiful tone and mood and atmosphere that was created.”

Hawley’s work has been seen in other movies, including Edge of Tomorrow, Mortal Engine, Suicide Squad, Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak and The Lovely Bones.