Yvonne_Blake

Yvonne Blake

Yvonne Blake

English and Spanish costume designer (1940–2018)

Yvonne Ann Blake (17 April 1940 – 17 July 2018) was an English and Spanish costume designer. She is perhaps best known for creating the costumes for Richard Donner's acclaimed superhero film Superman (1978) and its sequel, Richard Lester's Superman II (1980). She has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design two times, winning along with Antonio Castillo for their work on Nicholas and Alexandra (1971).

Quick Facts Born, Died ...

Early life and education

Blake was born in Manchester, England, on 17 April 1940.[1] At 16, she won one-year scholarship to study art, design, and sculpture at the Manchester's Regional College of Art and then acquired an internship at London's costume house Bermans.[2]

Career

Blake began her career as an assistant costume designer at Hammer Film Productions, working on the thriller drama film Never Take Sweets from a Stranger (1960) and the horror film The Shadow of the Cat (1961). She received her first major screen credits for designing costumes in Daniel Mann's 1966 drama film Judith, starring Sophia Loren.[3]

In the late 1960s, Blake worked for the first time in Spain. She created the wardrobes for Richard Quine's 1969 Western comedy film A Talent for Loving, and while on the sets, she was introduced to the assistant director Gil Carretero, with whom she later married.[4]

In 1970, Hollywood film producer Sam Spiegel approached her to work with director Franklin J. Schaffner to create the costumes for his epic period drama about the last czars of Russia, Nicholas and Alexandra (1971). Blake, then-29-year-old, signed on the project, which she recalled as the biggest challenge of her career. During extensive preparations for that large-scale production, she was in charge of several departments and caught in the middle of a creative team conflict. Blake felt extremely exhausted at the end of the filming and even considered quitting the profession altogether.[4] Despite various obstacles, her efforts, along with those of fellow collaborator Antonio Castillo, ultimately paid off, winning them the Academy Award for Best Costume Design.[1]

Spanish Film Acadeny presidency

In October 2016, Blake was elected president of the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain.[5] From that position, she fought to broaden the academy's horizons and encourage cooperation with international associations. Blake arranged a meeting between the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and its Spanish counterpart on the one-year anniversary of her election. She was also among the driving forces behind the Federation of Ibero-American Film Academies.[2]

Blake suffered a stroke in January 2018 and had been on medical leave from the presidency, with Mariano Barroso served as interim president in her absence. He was later elected in his own right in June of that year.[6]

Illness and death

Blake died of complications from a stroke in Madrid on 17 July 2018, at age 78.[7][8]

Awards and nominations

Major associations

Academy Awards

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BAFTA Awards

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Emmy Awards

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Miscellaneous awards

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Other honors

See also

References

  1. [1]
    Gates, Anita (18 July 2018). "Yvonne Blake, Award-Winning Costume Designer, Is Dead at 78". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  2. [2]
    Belinchón, Gregorio (17 July 2018). "Yvonne Blake, designer of 'Superman' costume, dies at 78". El País. Madrid. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  3. [3]
    "Yvonne Blake, Award-Winning Costume Designer, Is Dead at 78". The Telegraph. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  4. [4]
    Núñez Jaime, Víctor (26 December 2012). "A survivor of the costume drama". El País. Madrid. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  5. [5]
    "Yvonne Blake, elegida nueva presidenta de la Academia de Cine". La Razón (in Spanish). 15 October 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  6. [6]
    "Mariano Barroso, nuevo presidente de la Academia de Cine". El Confidencial (in Spanish). Titania Compañía Editorial, S.L. 9 June 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  7. [7]
    "Muere Yvonne Blake, presidenta de Honor de la Academia de Cine". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  8. [8]
    Bartlett, Rhett (17 July 2018). "Yvonne Blake, 'Superman' Costume Designer, Dies at 78". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  9. [9]
    "44th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  10. [10]
    "48th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  11. [11]
    "25th British Academy Film Awards". British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  12. [12]
    "27th British Academy Film Awards". British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  13. [13]
    "43rd British Academy Film Awards". British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  14. [14]
    "43rd British Academy Film Awards". British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  15. [15]
    "Yvonne Blake - Emmy Awards, Nominations, and Wins". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  16. [16]
    "Estás en la 3 edición de los Premios Goya (1989)" (in Spanish). Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  17. [17]
    "Estás en la 6 edición de los Premios Goya (1992)" (in Spanish). Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  18. [18]
    "Estás en la 7 edición de los Premios Goya (1993)" (in Spanish). Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  19. [19]
    "Estás en la 9 edición de los Premios Goya (1995)" (in Spanish). Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  20. [20]
    "Estás en la 18 edición de los Premios Goya (2004)" (in Spanish). Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  21. [21]
    "Estás en la 19 edición de los Premios Goya (2005)" (in Spanish). Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  22. [22]
    "Estás en la 21 edición de los Premios Goya (2007)" (in Spanish). Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  23. [23]
    "Royal Decree 1643/2011, of November 14th, which awarded the Medal of Merit in Labour, in its Gold category, to Mrs. Yvonne Blake" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish). 17 November 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  24. [24]
    "Order ECD/1980/2012, of September 17th, which awarded the National Cinematography Prize for 2012" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish). 20 September 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
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