Phyllis Dalton earned her first Oscar in 1966 for her exceptional work in crafting, distressing, and authenticating over 5,000 costumes for David Lean’s monumental film adaptation of Doctor Zhivago.
She dressed the aristocracy of the Tsarist era and the masses of post-revolution Russia, convincing extras to keep their Russian army overcoats on during sweltering summer shoots in Spain. The leading actress, Julie Christie, found it difficult to wear a crucial sultry red satin gown. However, Dalton and Lean persuaded her that her character, too, would feel discomforted by the garment, laden with themes of sexuality and shame, thereby allowing the gown to enhance her portrayal.
Costume designers often assert that their primary role involves addressing the emotional states of actors, and Dalton’s creations—who passed away at the age of 99—could serve as psychological blueprints for the characters portrayed.
In Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia (1962), the distinguished Peter O’Toole enters the scene awkwardly clad in an unkempt British uniform, which Dalton tailored to fit improperly at the ankles and wrists. Once robed in a loose, pale wool ensemble embellished with gold trim and a silk tunic decorated with Damascus embroidery, he was elevated to greatness—an embodiment of the hero.
Lean believed Dalton should have received an Oscar for her work on Lawrence, given the intricate logistics involved in creating numerous costumes for a multitude of extras and principal characters, all crafted in earth-toned fabrics and designed to reflect the various styles of distinct Bedouin tribes. With over three hours of stunning visuals in 70mm Panavision, every piece had to be visually captivating.
Dalton favored Lawrence of Arabia over Zhivago partly because the few female extras were adorned with hats or headdresses, ensuring that only the period styles were showcased without the disruption of modern hairstyles.
By the time Lean reached out to her for costume design during a hurried screen test for Lawrence, Dalton had been established in the field for nearly two decades. She had developed a passion for sketching and researching historical attire from a young age, showing more anthropological interest in contemporary fashion trends. Born in Chiswick, west London, her father William was employed by the Great Western Railway, while her mother, Elizabeth (née Mason), worked in a bank, and she attended local schools.
After studying design at Ealing Art College, she began sewing for couturier Matilda Etches, who also created costumes for theater and film. Dalton’s initial foray into the film business involved scouring wartime-reduced haberdasheries in Soho for details for Laurence Olivier’s Henry V (1944).
She joined the Wrens and was assigned to Bletchley Park. In the meantime, her artwork was submitted to a talent contest in Vogue. While she did not win, the editor offered her a connection to Gainsborough Studios, where she began working post-demobilization before eventually moving to Twickenham Studios.
Her first recognized period design came with Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953), where she delivered to Walt Disney’s productions muted lichen-dyed tartans and a surprisingly historically accurate white satin gown for Mary, the wife of the Jacobite outlaw, played by Glynis Johns.
Often, in period films, Dalton expressed a preference for depicting the lives of the lower classes, and in exotic settings, she aligned herself with local cultures. In films such as Island in the Sun (1957) set in the Caribbean; Our Man in Havana (1959) in Cuba; and The World of Suzie Wong (1960) in Hong Kong, the colonial characters donned stiff uniforms and sharply tailored London suits, while the local attire exuded a relaxed modernity in both cut and fabric.
Her narrow cheongsams crafted from vibrant silks for Suzie Wong and her fellow “hostesses” foreshadowed the youthful fashions that emerged in the 1960s.
Through the 60s and 70s, Dalton primarily engaged with historical settings yet maintained a dialogue with contemporary fashion—The fur hats, boots, and long, stylish coats from Zhivago garnered significant attention as the prevailing mod atmosphere shifted to romantic themes, influencing both Paris couture and London boutique trends.
The women’s costumes from the 1830s featured in Oliver! (1968), with their generously flared skirts in printed cotton, exemplified the fashion evolution leading into the Laura Ashley era.
She was deserving of an Oscar for her work on The Hireling (1973), a poignant story of class struggles in the 1920s, where Sarah Miles, dressed in soft greige crepe, tends to Robert Shaw in a stark chauffeur’s uniform, setting the stage for tragedy.
As a freelancer, Dalton transitioned to notable made-for-television films in the 1980s, while occasionally returning to feature films. A whimsical pale apron she fashioned for Maggie Smith in A Private Function (1984) humorously reflected the film’s 1947 setting, echoing her earlier experiences buying ready-made garments for Gainsborough’s Huggett Family comedies. She cleverly recreated their most unfortunate elements.
In The Princess Bride (1987), she distilled fairy-tale attire down to its fundamental aspects and skillfully improvised the black satin bandana and sash worn by swashbuckler Cary Elwes. Additionally, she adopted a gritty aesthetic for medieval warriors—a style that emerged in the 1970s—that was meticulously examined in Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V (1989), where she investigated the color of the muddy fields traversed by the English army.
Branagh intended his version to starkly contrast with Olivier’s flamboyant Technicolor, leading Dalton to design somber court garments while the battle attire appeared weathered and threadbare—elements that helped to strip away any glorification from the scenes. Her efforts earned her a second Oscar, followed by designs for Branagh’s subsequent films, Dead Again (1991), and Much Ado About Nothing (1993), which presented a rustic Italian wardrobe devoid of explicit historical references.
Dalton was honored with an MBE in 2002 and received a Bafta tribute in 2012.
Her first marriage to theater producer James Whiteley ended in divorce, and he passed away in 1976. She is survived by her second husband, Christopher Synge Barton.
Phyllis Dalton, renowned costume designer, born 16 October 1925; passed away 9 January 2025.
