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Marit Allen

Known For
Costume & Make-Up

Known Credits
0

Gender
Female

Birthday
September 17, 1941 (84 years old)

Place of Birth
Cheshire, England, UK

Marit Allen

Biography

Marit Allen (17 September 1941–26 November 2007) was an English fashion journalist and costume designer. In a career spanning over three decades, she is recognised for her prolific work across film and television. She was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Costume Design for the film La Vie en Rose (2007). Her work appears in such notable films as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), The Witches (1990), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), and Brokeback Mountain (2005).

Allen was born on September 17, 1941, in Cheshire, England, to a Norwegian mother and an English father. She was a pupil at Adcote School, an independent girls' boarding school in Shropshire, between 1951 and 1959. She then graduated from the University of Grenoble in France.

Allen's career in fashion began in 1961 when she took a job as a trainee at Queen Magazine. She quickly became editor and writer for the 'About 20' young fashion section of the magazine, which she used to showcase young design talent and innovative photography. In 1964, when the editor of Queen, Beatrix Miller, went to edit British Vogue, she took Allen with her. For Vogue, Allen founded the 'Young Idea' pages, which continued to champion up-and-coming innovative young designers such as John Bates and Foale and Tuffin. Allen's layouts were also original, including a spread based on the Batman comic strip in June 1966. She occasionally modelled for her own articles and wore the designs she featured. For her 1966 wedding to the film producer Sandy Lieberson, Allen wore an ultra-modern mini-dress and coat trimmed with silver vinyl designed by John Bates. Allen remained at Vogue until 1973. She also helped to establish the bachelor's degree program in journalism at Central St. Martin's Art College in 1973.

Allen was persuaded to enter the costume-designing business for film by director Nicolas Roeg after her successful career in fashion journalism. Following her entry into costume design, Allen worked on the costumes for a number of Roeg's movies, including Don't Look Now, The Witches, and Eureka.

Allen also developed a working relationship with Taiwanese film director Ang Lee. The two collaborated to create the costumes for a number of Ang's major films, including Hulk, Brokeback Mountain, and Ride with the Devil.

Allen's other noted films included La Vie En Rose (2007), for which she received her sole Oscar nomination; Love in the Time of Cholera (2007); Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988); Dead Man (1995); and Little Shop of Horrors (1986).

In addition to her Oscar nomination, Allen was honoured for her work with two Emmy nominations, as well as a Costume Designers Guild award and a BAFTA for her work on La Vie En Rose.

Allen died of a brain aneurysm in Sydney, Australia, on 26 November 2007, at the age of 66. She had three children: Lucy, Ben, and Holly.

At the time of her death, she worked with Australian filmmaker George Miller on preproduction of his never-made film Justice League: Mortal.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Marit Allen, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Costume & Make-Up

2007Love in the Time of Cholera...Costume Design
2007La Vie en Rose...Costume Design
2006All the King's Men...Costume Design
2005Brokeback Mountain...Costume Design
2005Nomad: The Warrior...Costume Design
2004Thunderbirds...Costume Design
2003Hulk...Costume Design
2002K-19: The Widowmaker...Costume Design
2001The Weight of Water...Costume Design
1999Ride with the Devil...Costume Design
1999Forever Mine...Costume Design
1999Eyes Wide Shut...Costume Design
1997Snow White: A Tale of Terror...Costume Design
1995Dead Man...Costume Design
1993Mrs. Doubtfire...Costume Design
1993The Secret Garden...Costume Design
1992Stalin...Costume Design
1992Wind...Costume Design
1992Shining Through...Costume Design
1991A Kiss Before Dying...Costume Design
1990Mermaids...Costume Design
1990The Witches...Costume Design
1989Eat a Bowl of Tea...Costume Design
1989The Rachel Papers...Costume Design
1988Dirty Rotten Scoundrels...Costume Design
1987White Mischief...Costume Design
1986Little Shop of Horrors...Costume Design
1986Dream Lover...Costume Design
1985Déjà Vu...Costume Design
1985Florence Nightingale...Costume Design
1984The Hit...Costume Design
1983Eureka...Costume Design
1982An Unsuitable Job for a Woman...Costume Designer
1980Richard's Things...Costume Design
1980Bad Timing...Costume Design
1973Don't Look Now...Costume Design

Acting