# Yvonne Blake

Yvonne Ann Blake (17 April 1940 – 17 July 2018) was a British 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).

## Early life and education

Blake was born in Manchester, England, on 17 April 1940. 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.

## 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.
Blake went to Spain for the first time in 1968. She was preparing wardrobes for Richard Quine's 1969 Western comedy film A Talent for Loving, and while on the sets, she was introduced to then-assistant director, Spaniard Gil Carretero, whom she later married.
In 1970, Hollywood film producer Sam Spiegel approached her to collaborate with director Franklin J. Schaffner on creating the costumes for his epic period drama Nicholas and Alexandra (1971), about the last of Romanov's dynasty. 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. 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. Accepting an Oscar, she said "If it wasn’t for the Russian Revolution, I wouldn’t be here."

### Spanish Film Academy presidency

In October 2016, Blake was elected president of the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain. 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.
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.

## Illness and death

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

## Awards and nominations
### Major associations

Academy Awards
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
| 1971 | Best Costume Design | Nicholas and Alexandra | Won | |
| 1975 | Best Costume Design | The Four Musketeers | Nominated | |
BAFTA Awards
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| British Academy Film Awards |||||
| 1971 | Best Costume Design | Nicholas and Alexandra | Nominated |
| 1973 | Best Costume Design | Jesus Christ Superstar | Nominated |
| 1974 | Best Costume Design | The Three Musketeers | Nominated |
| 1975 | Best Costume Design | The Four Musketeers | Nominated |
Emmy Awards
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| Primetime Emmy Awards |||||
| 1987 | Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special | Casanova | Nominated |
| 2002 | Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special | James Dean | Nominated |

### Miscellaneous awards

List of Yvonne Blake other awards and nominations :
| Award | Year | Category | Title | Result |
| Goya Awards | 1988 | Best Costume Design | Rowing with the Wind | Won |
| Goya Awards | 1991 | Best Costume Design | Don Juan in Hell | Nominated |
| Goya Awards | 1992 | Best Costume Design | The Anonymous Queen | Nominated |
| Goya Awards | 1994 | Best Costume Design | Cradle Song | Won |
| Goya Awards | 2003 | Best Costume Design | Carmen | Won |
| Goya Awards | 2004 | Best Costume Design | The Bridge of San Luis Rey | Won |
| Goya Awards | 2006 | Best Costume Design | Goya's Ghosts | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | 2007 | Best Costume Design | Goya's Ghosts | Nominated |
| Saturn Awards | 1978 | Best Costume Design | Superman | Nominated |

## Other honours

* Medal of Merit in Labour in Gold (Kingdom of Spain, 14 November 2011).
* National Cinematography Prize (Kingdom of Spain, 17 September 2012).