Catherine Martin (designer)

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, and her mother was studying mathematics at university. She and her brother grew up in Sydney but spent a lot of time with their grandparents in France's Loire Valley, 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 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 as her childhood inspiration and an extraordinary journey to take when she was 10, and then 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 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. She was accepted into the National Institute of Dramatic Art (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, Baz Luhrmann, 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 to celebrate the Australian Bicentenary in 1988. Their collaboration continued at Opera Australia when she provided set designs for Luhrmann's 1990 production of Giacomo Puccini's *La bohème as well as the 1993 production of Benjamin Britten's *A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Martin gained international acclaim when she entered the film industry, recreating her designs in Luhrmann's feature directorial debut, Strictly Ballroom (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, Romeo + Juliet (1996).

Their third feature film collaboration which concluded Curtain's Trilogy was Moulin Rouge! (2001). She earned both the Academy Award for Best Costume Design and the Academy Award for Best Production Design 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 Edith Head.

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 Australia (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, The Great Gatsby, 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 and the Fashion Institute of Technology 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 and Miuccia Prada 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 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 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 designs, particularly those of Sunrise (1927) and Speedy (1928), for inspiring Gatsby's high-gloss Art Deco 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, who won three in the 1950s.

Shortly after the release of Gatsby, Martin collaborated with Brooks Brothers to release a limited edition menswear collection. She has also launched a range of home wares, featuring paints, wallpaper and rugs.

Other ventures

In 1997, Martin and Luhrmann founded a production company to manage their various creative projects.

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 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 television series The Get Down, which takes place in 1970s South Bronx. She served as an executive producer of the series.

Personal life

Martin met her husband, Baz Luhrmann, at university, and the pair married on Australia Day 1997, her 32nd birthday. The couple has two children together. In July 2015, the couple placed their Darlinghurst 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

Feature films

Short films

Television

Awards and nominations

;Major associations Academy Awards

BAFTA Awards

Tony Awards

;Miscellaneous awards

;Honorary degrees

Other honours

• Martin was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001 for service to Australian society and Australian film production.
• Martin was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia 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."

Notes

References

References

1. "Spotlight On: Fitzgerald, Gatsby & Catherine Martin {{!}} Tory Daily".
2. Foster, Catherine. (11 August 1993). "Australian Director Baz Luhrmann Takes His Talent to Opera". The Christian Science Monitor.
3. (24 March 2002). "Oscar Honors "Moulin Rouge" and Boheme Designer Catherine Martin". Playbill.
4. Marks, Peter. (9 December 2002). "The 'Boheme' Next Door". The Washington Post.
5. (23 January 2009). "Catherine Martin nabs Oscar nomination for Australia". The Sydney Morning Herald.
6. "Catherine Martin".
7. "Catherine Martin Rugs".
8. Staff. (2015-06-12). "Strictly love and business". business.nab.com.au.
9. Denley, Susan. (2013-10-30). "'Great Gatsby' costumer Catherine Martin a Glamour Woman of the Year". Los Angeles Times.
10. Nadoolman Landis, Deborah. (2012). "Hollywood Costume". V&A Publishing.
11. (12 August 2015). "Baz Luhrmann's Netflix Series 'The Get Down' To Take Production Hiatus".
12. Brow, Jason. (2023-01-25). "Baz Luhrmann's Wife: Meet His Spouse Catherine Martin".
13. "Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin list Darlinghurst mansion for $16 million".
14. (5 October 2014). "The 69th Academy Awards (1997) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
15. "The 74th Academy Awards (2002) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
16. (7 October 2014). "The 81st Academy Awards (2009) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
17. (7 October 2014). "The 86th Academy Awards (2014) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
18. "The 95th Academy Awards (2023) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
19. "46th British Academy Film Awards". [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]].
20. Wolf, Matt. (April 20, 1998). "'Monty' tops 'Titanic' at BAFTA fete".
21. Dawtrey, Adam. (January 28, 2002). "BAFTA noms unveiled".
22. Kemp, Stuart. (February 16, 2014). "BAFTA Awards: '12 Years a Slave' Wins Best Film".
23. Ravindran, Manori. (January 19, 2023). "BAFTA Awards Nominations Unveiled: 'All Quiet on the Western Front' Leads Race, 'Banshees' & 'Everything Everywhere' Come Up Strong".
24. (February 19, 2023). "BAFTAs: 'All Quiet On The Western Front' Named Best Film, Takes 7 Prizes; Cate Blanchett Best Actress, Austin Butler Best Actor – Complete Winners List".
25. (May 12, 2003). "Hairspray — with 13 Nods — Tops 2003 Tony Award Nominations".
26. Jones, Kenneth. (9 June 2003). "Take Me Out, Hairspray Are Top Winners in 2003 Tony Awards; Long Day's Journey, Nine Also Hot". [[Playbill]].
27. (17 October 1992). "'Ballroom' takes eight of 13 prizes.". National Library of Australia.
28. "THE BYRON KENNEDY AWARD". [[Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts]] (AACTA).
29. "AFI AWARD WINNERS FEATURE CATEGORIES 1958–2009". [[Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts]] (AACTA).
30. Raschella, Adrian. (December 11, 2009). "Australia scoops AFI Industry Awards".
31. (January 30, 2014). "Luhrmann cleans up at AACTAs".
32. (December 8, 2022). "AACTA Awards: Full list of 2022 winners".
33. Keast, Jackie. (November 28, 2022). "Catherine Martin to receive AACTA Longford Lyell Award".
34. Chagollan, Steve. (February 24, 2002). "Red-letter day: Martin wins at ADG for 'Rouge'".
35. Pond, Steve. (January 9, 2023). "Art Directors Guild Likes the Looks of 'Elvis', 'Babylon', 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'".
36. Robb, David. (January 20, 2023). "Baz Luhrmann & Catherine Martin To Receive Art Directors Guild's Cinematic Imagery Award".
37. (November 20, 2013). "Australian Production and Design Guild Awards winners announced".
38. Slatter, Sean. (November 11, 2021). "Brian Cox and Catherine Martin honoured at APDG Awards".
39. (28 June 2023). "Australian Production Design Guild 2023 award nominees announced".
40. Slatter, Sean. (August 29, 2023). "'Elvis' on top again at APDG Awards with four wins".
41. Davis, Clayton. (December 15, 2022). "A24's 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Leads HCA Film Awards Total Nominations With 16".
42. Anderson, Erik. (January 5, 2023). "27th Capri Hollywood International Film Festival winners: ‘Elvis’ dominates with eight wins including Best Picture and Best Director".
43. (December 13, 2013). "'12 Years a Slave' leads with 11 Chicago Film Critics Association nominations".
44. Pond, Steve. (January 8, 2014). "Costume Designers Guild Nominees Range From 'Great Gatsby' to 'Nebraska'".
45. Tangcay, Jazz. (February 27, 2023). "Costume Designers Guild Awards: 'Elvis' and 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Among Winners".
46. Nessif, Bruna. (January 17, 2014). "2014 Critics' Choice Movie Awards: 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle and Gravity Own the Night".
47. Verhoeven, Beatrice. (December 14, 2022). "'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Leads 2023 Critics Choice Awards Film Nominations".
48. Simonson, Robert. (May 1, 2003). "Hairspray Leads 2003 Drama Desk Award Nominations".
49. Simonson, Robert. (May 19, 2003). "Hairspray Cleans Up at Drama Desk Awards; Take Me Out Is Outstanding Play".
50. Groves, Don. (March 12, 2014). "Tie for best film at FCCA Awards".
51. (February 7, 2023). "'The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson', 'The Stranger' lead FCCA nominees".
52. LaVelle, Ciara. (December 18, 2013). "12 Years A Slave Sweeps the Florida Film Critics Circle Awards". [[Miami New Times]].
53. Anderson, Erik. (December 14, 2022). "2022 Florida Film Critics Circle nominations: 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' leads with 11".
54. Neglia, Matt. (January 7, 2023). "The 2022 Georgia Film Critics Association (GFCA) Nominations".
55. Keast, Jackie. (April 13, 2023). "Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin to receive Chauvel Award".
56. (10 March 1995). "Gideon wins Green Room award". [[The Australian Jewish News]].
57. (July 14, 2014). "Razzle dazzle leads the 2014 Helpmann Award nominations".
58. Grein, Paul. (November 17, 2022). "Rihanna's 'Wakanda Forever' Song, Terence Blanchard Win at 2022 Hollywood Music in Media Awards: Full List".
59. (October 13, 2009). "Balibo, Samson vie for Inside Film Awards". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
60. Stone, Sasha. (January 17, 2009). "6th Annual ICS Award Nominees".
61. (January 14, 2014). "International Cinephile Society Go Their Own Way With Award Nominations".
62. "2001 {{!}} 5th Las Vegas Film Critics Sierra Awards".
63. Anderson, Erik. (December 10, 2022). "'Everything Everywhere All At Once' leads Las Vegas Film Critics Society nominations; 'The Banshees of Inisherin,' 'The Fabelmans' next".
64. Neglia, Matt. (December 11, 2022). "The 2022 Las Vegas Film Critics Society (LVFCS) Winners".
65. Ritman, Alex. (December 21, 2022). "'Banshees of Inisherin', 'Aftersun' Top London Critics' Circle Nominations".
66. King, Susan. (December 16, 2001). "'Bedroom' Is Top Pick of L.A. Film Critics". [[Los Angeles Times]].
67. (January 18, 2023). "The Daniels' 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Leads Online Film Critics Society Awards Nominations".
68. Simonson, Robert. (April 21, 2003). "Outer Critics Circle Noms Announced; Nine and Hairspray Lead with 12 Nods".
69. Gans, Andrew. (May 5, 2003). "Outer Critics Circle Award Winners Announced; Hairspray Leads the Pack".
70. Shirley, Don. (September 16, 2004). "Ovation Awards spread the largess". [[Los Angeles Times]].
71. Martinez, Julio. (November 16, 2004). "'Exits' enters winner's circle with Ovation".
72. "2001 {{!}} 2nd Phoenix Film Critics Awards".
73. Hammond, Pete. (January 12, 2023). "Producers Guild Awards' Film Nominations Dominated By Box Office Hits Like 'Avatar', 'Top Gun' & 'Black Panther'; 'Abbott Elementary', 'White Lotus' On TV List".
74. McKenzie, Lesley. (February 5, 2014). "Costume Designer Catherine Martin to Be Honored by Rodeo Drive's Walk of Style".
75. "2001 {{!}} 6th San Diego Film Critics Awards".
76. (December 13, 2013). "'Her' crowned best film of the year by San Diego Film Critics Society".
77. Anderson, Erik. (January 6, 2023). "2022 San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) winners".
78. Tangcay, Jazz. (January 26, 2023). "'RRR' Composer, 'Elvis' Costume Designer, 'Top Gun: Maverick' Cinematographer to Be Feted at Variety Artisans Awards".
79. Errico, Marcus. (January 16, 1997). "Cruise Tops Golden Satellite Awards".
80. (January 22, 2002). "'Rouge' rocks kudos".
81. Kilday, Gregg. (December 14, 2008). "'Slumdog,' 'Happy' top Satellite nods".
82. Kroll, Justin. (November 30, 2008). "Satellites soar for Meryl Streep".
83. Kilday, Gregg. (February 23, 2014). "Satellite Awards: '12 Years a Slave' Wins Best Motion Picture".
84. Pond, Steve. (December 2, 2013). "'12 Years a Slave' Tops Satellite Award Nominations".
85. Neglia, Matt. (December 8, 2022). "The 2022 Satellite Award (IPA) Nominations".
86. (March 13, 2002). "'Potter' leads Saturn kudos".
87. (March 11, 2009). "Saturn Nominations Unveiled".
88. Ward, Mike. (January 15, 2014). "The 2013 What's Seattle Saying? Film Awards – Winners".
89. Ward, Mike. (January 6, 2014). "The 2013 What's Seattle Saying? Film Award Nominations".
90. Anderson, Erik. (January 17, 2023). "2022 Seattle Film Critics Society (SFCS) winners".
91. Neglia, Matt. (January 9, 2023). "The 2022 Seattle Film Critics Society (SFCS) Nominations".
92. (February 14, 2023). "SDSA Awards: Everything Everywhere All at Once Named Best Picture; Three Other Oscar Nominees Honored".
93. Anderson, Erik. (December 18, 2022). "2022 St. Louis Film Critics Association winners: 'Everything Everywhere All At Once,' 'Women Talking, 'Elvis'".
94. Cohen, Matt. (December 9, 2013). "D.C. Film Critics Name 12 Years A Slave 2013's Best Film".
95. Anderson, Erik. (December 10, 2022). "Washington DC Film Critics nominations: 'Everything Everywhere All At Once,' 'The Fabelmans' lead".
96. Bowie-Sell, Daisy. (5 December 2018). "Hamilton leads 19th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards nominations".
97. "Oscar-winning designer Catherine Martin receives honorary doctorate". The University of Sydney.
98. "Catherine Martin". Australian Honours Database.
99. "Catherine Martin". Australian Honours Database.
100. Bullock, Maggie. (2013-05-03). "Baz Luhrmann's Leading Lady".
101. Borrelli-Persson, Laird. (2015-04-20). "Costume Designer Catherine Martin on Hip-Hop, ''Gatsby'', and Working with Husband, Baz Luhrmann".
102. Marshall, Alexandra. (2013-10-30). "Catherine Martin: The Fashion Wizard".
103. Overington, Caroline. (2002-03-26). "Two Oscars, but only one Baz".
104. (2013-05-08). "The Great Gatsby's Catherine Martin on Designing the Jay-Z-Scored Party Scenes ("No Hip Thrusting") and Gatsby's "Pimped Out" Yellow Convertible".
105. Yang, Sarah. (2013-05-21). "A Look at the Set of The Great Gatsby with Production and Costume Designer Catherine Martin".
106. Phelan, Hayley. (2013-04-29). "CATHERINE MARTIN ON CREATING THE COSTUMES FOR THE GREAT GATSBY".
107. Whitlock, Cathy. (2013-04-26). "Designer Catherine Martin Teases the Decadence of Baz Luhrmann's 'The Great Gatsby'".
108. (2014-03-03). "Catherine Martin wins two Oscars for The Great Gatsby, makes history for most Academy Awards by an Australian".
109. Hawker, Philippa. (2014-12-26). "Catherine Martin is strictly sensational".
110. (2018-04-01). "Catherine the great".
111. Bennett, Sally. (2015-01-15). "20 things you didn't know about Strictly Ballroom".
112. Rosenfeld, Austen. (2015-04-19). "The Costume Designer for "Moulin Rouge!," "Romeo + Juliet," and "The Great Gatsby" Talks Fashion".