Shirley Ann Russell

Shirley Ann Russell (; 11 March 1935 – 4 March 2002) was a British costume designer. She has received various accolades, including a BAFTA Film Award and two BAFTA Television Awards, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards and an Emmy Award.

Career

Russell studied Fashion at Walthamstow College of Art, and she later attended the Royal College of Art. She ran her own firm of film costumiers, called The Last Picture Frock, particularly specialising in 1930s and 1940s clothing. The firm was sold to the costumier Angels in the 1970s. Her interest in historic costume began when she assisted Doris Langley Moore, the founder of the Fashion Museum, Bath. She was a widely-acknowledged expert on period costuming and was often called upon by art dealers to help them date paintings.

Russell's costume designs were detailed and nuanced, using costume to show subtle distinctions in class. She was known for the weight and authenticity her design lent to characters. In 1969's film Women in Love her designs signalled the social and cultural differences between the two Brangwen sisters and the Crich family, and were nominated for a Best Costume Design BAFA. She designed for stars such as Vanessa Redgrave in A Song at Twilight, Rudolf Nureyev in Valentino and Roger Daltrey in Lisztomania. Her design for Daltrey was described by Russell as "fantasticated gear" - the jacket had huge labels featuring keyboard motifs. Another "fantasticated design" is 'The Acid Queen' from Tommy.

Collaborations with her husband Ken Russell included: Women in Love, Amelia and the Angel, The Music Lovers, The Devils, The Boy Friend, Savage Messiah, Mahler, Tommy, Lisztomania, and Valentino. Russell's other credits include The Little Prince, Lady Chatterley's Lover, The Return of the Soldier, The Razor's Edge, Hope and Glory, The Bride, Yanks, Gulliver's Travels, I Dreamed of Africa, and Shackleton.

Selected filmography Film YearTitleDirectorNotes 1958 Amelia and the Angel Ken Russell Short film 1964 French Dressing 1967 Billion Dollar Brain Credited as Shirley KingdonKingdon only designed costumes for Françoise Dorléac 1969 Women in Love 1971 The Music Lovers The Devils The Boy Friend 1972 Savage Messiah 1974 Mahler The Little Prince Stanley Donen 1975 Inserts John Byrum Tommy Ken Russell Lisztomania 1977 Valentino 1979 Agatha Michael Apted Also production designer Yanks John Schlesinger Cuba Richard Lester 1981 Lady Chatterley's Lover Just Jaeckin Reds Warren Beatty 1982 The Return of the Soldier Alan Bridges 1984 The Razor's Edge John Byrum 1985 The Bride Franc Roddam 1987 Hope and Glory John Boorman 1997 FairyTale: A True Story Charles Sturridge 2000 I Dreamed of Africa Hugh Hudson 2001 Enigma Michael Apted

Television YearTitleNotes 1966 Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World Television film 1967–1970 Omnibus 3 episodes 1983 Wagner 10 episodes 1996 Gulliver's Travels 2 episodes 2000 Longitude 2 episodes 2002 Shackleton 2 episodes

Awards and nominations AwardYearCategoryWorkResult Academy Awards 1980 Best Costume Design Agatha 1982 Reds British Academy Film Awards 1970 Best Costume Design Women in Love 1978 Valentino 1980 Yanks Agatha 1983 Reds 1988 Hope and Glory British Academy Television Craft Awards 1997 Best Costume Design Gulliver's Travels 2001 Longitude 2003 Shackleton Primetime Emmy Awards 1996 Outstanding Costume Design for a Miniseries or a Special Gulliver's Travels Saturn Awards 1986 Best Costume Design The Bride

Personal life Russell was born as Shirley Ann Kingdon in London, England. Whilst studying at Walthamstow College of Art, she met her husband the film director Ken Russell, to whom she was married from 1956 to 1978. They both converted to Roman Catholicism prior to their marriage. They had five children: Xavier, James, Alexander, Victoria and Toby. Following her divorce from Ken Russell, she lived for many years with director Jonathan Benson in Chiswick.

Death She died from cancer in March 2002, one week before her 67th birthday.