Alexandra Byrne Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

EXCLUSIVE: Sam Mendes has begun principal photography on the south coast of England for his upcoming feature, Empire Of Light. From Searchlight Pictures, the drama is written by Mendes — his first solo screenplay — and stars Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Crystal Clark and Tanya Moodie.

In preparation for Autumn de Wilde’s Emma, costume designer Alexandra Byrne spent her time researching her favorite time period for clothing. “The reason I like this period is that it’s the beginning of fashion plates being published for women,” Byrne says.

Designing the costumes for Emma, the Autumn de Wilde-directed adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic period novel, was a balance between staying true to the era (the early 1800s) while leaving room for some creativity and artistic license, says Oscar-nominated costume designer Alexandra Byrne.

With awards season in full swing, the honours are flying fast.

She discussed that project and more during our Monday conversation. The 93rd Academy Awards will be held on April 25.Congratulations on your Oscar nomination. Isn’t it great that the Costume Designers branch remembered a film from over a year ago?It was great that they remembered it, but I think it is very special, particular, unique film, this one.

Zoe Hewitt Research may be the cornerstone of any historically accurate project, but it’s only when artisans know the rules that they can break them. The costume designers behind some of this year’s period films allowed their research to guide them in balancing context with storytelling.Oscar-winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne immersed herself in the1800s setting of Focus Features’ “Emma” starring Anya Taylor-Joy.

In the world of costume drama, Alexandra Byrne is one of the true masters of the medium, especially the Elizabethan and Recency eras in England.

Jane Austen’s “Emma.” is a world of elegance and refinement; its story centers on class distinction and the power of vanity, and how those cause tension between friends and lovers. The challenge for costumer Alexandra Byrne and production designer Kave Quinn to help director Autumn de Wilde deliver her vision of the classic, which hits theaters Feb. 21, was to create a landscape that was simultaneously sumptuous and defined by specific rules.