Catherine Martin Luhrmann (born 26 January 1965) is an Australian

costume designer A costume designer is a person who designs costumes for a film, stage production or television show. The role of the costume designer is to create the characters' outfits or costumes and balance the scenes with texture and colour, etc. The costum ...

production designer In film and television, a production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Work ...

set designer Scenic design, also known as stage design or set design, is the creation of scenery for theatrical productions including plays and musicals. The term can also be applied to film and television productions, where it may be referred to as prod ...

, and producer. She is known for her frequent collaborations with her husband,

Baz Luhrmann Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962) is an Australian film director, producer, writer, and actor whose various projects extend from film and television into opera, theatre, music, and the recording industries. He is regarded by ...

. She has received numerous accolades, including four

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

, six

BAFTA Awards The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best Cinema of the United Kingdom, British and Worl ...

, and a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

. Martin came to prominence with her first major film credit alongside Luhrmann on his feature directorial debut ''

Strictly Ballroom ''Strictly Ballroom'' is a 1992 Australian romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Baz Luhrmann in his feature directorial debut. The film is the first in his '' Red Curtain Trilogy'' of theatre-motif-related films; it was followed by 1 ...

'' (1992), which later became the first installment of the " Red Curtain Trilogy". For her exceptional work on the film's aesthetic, she earned two BAFTAs for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design, among other accolades. Martin received her first Oscar nomination for art direction in the second part of the trilogy, ''

Romeo + Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet or Romeo & Juliet may also refer to: Ballets * ''Romeo and Juliet'', a ballet score by Constant Lambert * Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev), ''Romeo and Juliet'' (Prokofiev), a ...

'' (1996). She then collected the

Academy Award for Best Costume Design The Academy Award for Best Costume Design is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for achievement in film costume design. The award was first given in 1949, for films made in 1948 ...

as well as the

Academy Award for Best Production Design The Academy Award for Best Production Design recognizes achievement for art direction in film. The category's original name was Best Art Direction, but was changed to its current name in 2012 for the 85th Academy Awards. This change resulted f ...

for her work on the Curtain's last chapter, '' Moulin Rouge!'' (2001). Martin became just the second woman to win multiple Oscars in a single year (after

Edith Head Edith Claire Head (née Posener, October 28, 1897 – October 24, 1981) was an American film costume designer who won a record eight Academy Awards for Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Best Costume Design between 1949 and 1973, making he ...

) and the first to accomplish this feat twice, winning the same two categories for ''

The Great Gatsby ''The Great Gatsby'' () is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with Jay Gatsby, a mysterious mi ...

'' (2013). She was also Oscar-nominated for ''

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

'' (2008) and ''

Elvis Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Presley's sexuall ...

'' (2022). Having won four awards out of nine nominations, she holds the record for the most Oscar wins of any Australian.

Early life and education

Martin was born on January 26, 1965, in Lindfield, New South Wales, to a French mother and an Australian father, both academics who met at the Sorbonne; her father was pursuing his expertise in

18th-century French literature 18th-century French literature is French literature written between 1715, the year of the death of King Louis XIV of France, and 1798, the year of the coup d'État of Napoléon Bonaparte, Bonaparte which brought the Consulate to power, concluded ...

, and her mother was studying mathematics at university. She and her brother grew up in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

but spent a lot of time with their grandparents in France's

Loire Valley The Loire Valley (, ), spanning , is a valley located in the middle stretch of the Loire river in central France, in both the administrative regions Pays de la Loire and Centre-Val de Loire. The area of the Loire Valley comprises about . It is r ...

, visiting "every art gallery, every museum" along the way. Martin was fascinated from an early age by the vintage clothing parades occasionally thrown by her Australian grandmother and her church friends. She would beg her parents to take her to London's

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...

so she could dig through the costume section, and recalled "being blown away by the costume gallery, being able to see a pleated lace ruff in reality" when she finally got there. Her mother taught her to use a sewing machine at age 6, and by age 15 she was creating her own patterns to make herself dresses. Martin cited ''

The Wizard of Oz ''The Wizard of Oz'' is a 1939 American Musical film, musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Based on the 1900 novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum, it was primarily directed by Victor Fleming, who left pro ...

'' as her childhood inspiration and an extraordinary journey to take when she was 10, and then ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind ...

'' as the movie that, at age 13, changed her life from a fashion perspective. Martin attended North Sydney Girls High School and, while a student, got a part-time job as an usherette at the Roseville theatre. She was first enrolled at

Sydney College of the Arts The Sydney College of the Arts (SCA) is a contemporary art school that was a faculty of the University of Sydney from 1990 until 2017, when it became a school of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Until the end of 2019, the campus was locat ...

and spent a year studying the visual arts before deciding to drop out for a career change. Then she studied pattern cutting at

East Sydney Technical College The National Art School (NAS) is a tertiary level art school, located in , an inner-city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The school is an independent accredited higher education provider offering specialised study in studio arts p ...

. She was accepted into the

National Institute of Dramatic Art The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is an Australian educational institution for the performing arts based in Sydney, New South Wales. Founded in 1958, it offers bachelor's, master's and vocational degrees in subjects including acting ...

(NIDA) and graduated in 1988 with a diploma in design. In her last year at university, she met and started collaborating with a fellow student,

, whom she later married. At that time, Luhrmann returned to NIDA looking for young designers with whom he planned to stage his one-act play, ''Strictly Ballroom'', and Martin did some work on that production.

Career

Martin's first professional engagement came after graduation when she began working on Luhrmann's environmental opera experiment, ''Lake Lost'', staged at a television studio in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

to celebrate the

Australian Bicentenary The bicentenary of Australia was celebrated in 1988. It marked 200 years since the arrival of the First Fleet of British convict ships at Sydney in 1788. History The bicentennial year marked Captain Arthur Phillip's arrival with the 11 ships ...

in 1988. Their collaboration continued at

Opera Australia Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, New South Wales, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra runs for approximately eight months of the year, with t ...

when she provided set designs for Luhrmann's 1990 production of

Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for List of compositions by Giacomo Puccini#Operas, his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he ...

's ''

La bohème ''La bohème'' ( , ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '':wikt:quadro, quadri'', ''wikt:tableau, tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto b ...

as well as the 1993 production of

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten of Aldeburgh (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, o ...

's ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

. Martin gained international acclaim when she entered the

film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production company, production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre- ...

, recreating her designs in Luhrmann's feature directorial debut, ''

'' (1992), the first part of the " Red Curtain Trilogy". It was a major financial success and received widespread acclaim from critics and audiences, who lauded the acting, direction, and production values. Among other accolades, the film cleaned up at the AFI Awards, picking up leading eight wins from 13 nominations and also winning three of its eight nominations at the BAFTAs, including both the Best Costume Design and the Best Production Design for Martin's visuals. She then received her first Oscar nomination for art direction in the trilogy's second installment, ''

'' (1996). Their third feature film collaboration which concluded Curtain's Trilogy was '' Moulin Rouge!'' (2001). She earned both the

and the

for her richly designed sets and dazzling costumes, which received widespread recognition from critics and audiences alike. She shared the former prize with Angus Strathie, the latter with Brigitte Broch (for the film's set decoration). Martin's double wins makes her just the second woman to win multiple Oscars in a single year, after fellow costume designer

. For their next project together, the pair teamed up adaptating Luhrmann's earlier Australian production of ''La bohème'' for Broadway theatre, which opened to critical acclaim in December 2002. She won the Tony Award for Best Scenic Design and, alongside Strathie, was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Costume Design the following year. Martin went to co-produce Luhrmann's epic ''

'' (2008) and was also the film's production and costume designer. It earned her another Oscar nomination. She has stated that the tailoring on the clothing produced for the film is one of her proudest achievements.

''The Great Gatsby''

Luhrmann and Martin started working on the cinematic reinvention of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic, ''

'', a novel that she had not read since adolescence and had not much appreciated as a teenager. Nevertheless, Martin ended up being the book's biggest fan after her husband's insistence that she revisit it. Luhrmann thought about doing a new film version for about a decade, although he began writing a script only three years before actual filming started. For their ambitious purpose of trying to achieve an authentic feeling for the film but also something connective for a modern audience, the pair consulted academic texts about the novel as well as historical analyses pertaining to both Fitzgerald and his work. In particular, they went to libraries at the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

and the

Fashion Institute of Technology The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) is a public college under the State University of New York, in New York City. It focuses on art, business, design, mass communication, and technology connected to the fashion industry. It was founded in ...

to further their research on the project. Martin described herself during this time as being "like a detective". Overall, Martin was charged with creating about 500 outfits for various cast members. She collaborated with

Brooks Brothers Brooks Brothers Inc. is an American clothing brand founded in 1818 which is the oldest apparel brand in continuous operation in the United States. Originally a family business, it is currently owned as a joint venture between Authentic Brands G ...

and

Miuccia Prada Miuccia Bianchi Prada (; born Maria Bianchi on 10 May 1949) is an Italian billionaire fashion designer and businesswoman. She is the head designer of Prada and the founder of its subsidiary Miu Miu. As of October 2021, ''Forbes'' estimated her n ...

to design the costumes, as well as Tiffany & Co., which agreed to supply the film's jewelry. In particular, Prada created some twenty dresses for the film's first party scene as well as an additional twenty for the second one. Before filming started, Luhrmann said that since the book took place in 1922 and was published in 1925 but foreshadowed the economic crash of 1929, anything within that decade was appropriate to borrow for design purposes. This approach gives Martin more room to play with trends and flattering pieces, such as her choice to dress lead actor

Leonardo DiCaprio Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (; ; born November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. Known for Leonardo DiCaprio filmography, his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received ...

in slimmer-cut suits, a decision that otherwise would not be typical for the time period in which the depicted events are taking place. Furthermore, she erred towards the decade's end for women's clothes, wanting to focus on slimmer silhouettes. She also took artistic liberties when it came to the actresses' footwear, telling Vogue that she found heels from the era to be "stumpy". Martin rationalized her anachronistic use of thinner-heeled shoes by telling herself she was copying what was found in fashion illustrations from the time. Martin created a total of 42 lavish sets for the film, which all were constructed under her vision in a span of 14 weeks. Her inspiration came from the works of 1920s British designer

Syrie Maugham Gwendoline Maud Syrie Maugham ( Barnardo, formerly Wellcome; 10 July 1879 – 25 July 1955) was a leading British interior decorator of the 1920s and 1930s who popularised rooms decorated entirely in white. Early life Gwendoline Maud Syrie Ba ...

as well as the iconic turn-of-the-century houses on Long Island, such as Beacon Towers for Gatsby's mansion and Old Westbury Gardens for the Buchanans' estate. She also gave credit to the 1920s

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

designs, particularly those of ''

Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning, at the start of the Sun path. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon. Terminology Although the S ...

'' (1927) and ''

Speedy Speedy refers to something or someone moving at high speed. Speedy may refer to: People * Speedy (nickname), a list of people * Speedy Long (1928–2006), American lawyer and politician * Speedy Mashilo (born 1965), South African politician * ...

'' (1928), for inspiring Gatsby's high-gloss

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

visual style. Martin once again received universal acclaim for creating film's visuals, winning her two more Oscars for both Best Costume Design and Best Production Design, the latter of which she shares with Beverley Dunn. Having won her fourth career Academy Award, she claimed the record for the most Oscar wins of any Australian, overtaking fellow costume designer

Orry-Kelly Orry-Kelly was the professional name of Orry George Kelly (31 December 1897 – 27 February 1964), an Australian-American Cinema of the United States, Hollywood costume designer. Until being overtaken by Catherine Martin (designer), Catherin ...

, who won three in the 1950s. Shortly after the release of ''Gatsby'', Martin collaborated with

to release a limited edition menswear collection. She has also launched a range of home wares, featuring paints, wallpaper and rugs.

Other work

Martin was named a Glamour Magazine Woman of the Year in 2013. Discussing her and Luhrmann's progression as artists, Marin told the magazine, "We've gone from me staying up all night to paint the floor to where I am now, with 300

carpenters Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters trad ...

working for me. I feel like the Queen of England". For her spread in their December issue, her husband photographed her alongside their children. Martin's work was featured in fellow costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis' 2013 book ''Hollywood Costume''. Martin has stated that she prides herself on ensuring the costumes she produces are beautifully made, comfortable, and easy to take on and off. She also said that she is no longer tempted to keep any wardrobe mementos from the films she works on, telling Fashionista, "... I realised through long and hard experience the best record of your work, is the work itself." In 2016, Martin and Luhrmann developed the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

television series ''

The Get Down ''The Get Down'' is an American musical drama television series created by Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis. The series debuted on Netflix on August 12, 2016, and was cancelled after one season. Produced by Sony Pictures Television, the s ...

'', which takes place in 1970s

South Bronx The South Bronx is an area of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The area comprises neighborhoods in the southern part of the Bronx, such as Concourse, Bronx, Concourse, Mott Haven, Bronx, Mott Haven, Melrose, B ...

. She served as an executive producer of the series. Martin was appointed a

Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

in the 2025 King's Birthday Honours for "eminent service to the arts, to costume, production and set design, and to fostering emerging artistic talent".

Personal life

Martin met her husband,

, at university, and the pair married on

Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet and raising of the Flag of Great Britain, Union Flag of Great Britain by Arthur Phillip at Sydney Cove, a ...

1997, her 32nd birthday. The couple has two children together. In July 2015, the couple placed their

Darlinghurst Darlinghurst is an inner-city suburb in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Darlinghurst is located immediately east of the Sydney central business district (CBD) and Hyde Park, within the local government area of the Ci ...

mansion on the market for $16 million AUD, in favour of establishing a more settled family life in New York City, where their family has been spending more and more time.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Major associations

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cere ...

Miscellaneous awards

Notes

References

External links

Catherine Martin's official website

Catherine Martin Rugs
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Catherine 1965 births Living people Australian art directors Australian costume designers Australian film producers Australian people of French descent Australian production designers Australian scenic designers Australian women costume designers Australian women film producers Australian women production designers Best Art Direction Academy Award winners Best Costume Design Academy Award winners Best Costume Design BAFTA Award winners Best Production Design AACTA Award winners Best Production Design BAFTA Award winners Companions of the Order of Australia Drama Desk Award winners Opera designers People educated at North Sydney Girls High School Tony Award winners