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Julie Harris (costume designer)

British costume designer (1921–2015). Academy Award winner noted for mid-20th century film wardrobes across period drama, musical, comedy and family adventure, including Darling, Help! and The Slipper and the Rose.

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Julie Harris (26 March 1921 – 30 May 2015) was a British costume designer whose career in film spanned several decades. Best known for work produced between the 1950s and the 1970s, she combined careful historical research with a practical approach to clothing for the screen, helping to shape the look of both period dramas and contemporary films of her era. Acknowledged by her peers, she won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 1966 and received multiple BAFTA nominations, including a BAFTA award in 1967.

Career overview

Born in London, Harris developed a reputation for adaptability, working on studio-based productions and on location. Her credits cover a wide range of genres: family adventure films, satirical contemporary dramas, musicals and comedies. She was attentive to how costume read on camera, balancing silhouette, colour and texture to support an actor's performance and the film's visual composition.

Style and working methods

Harris was known for translating archival costume detail into garments that were wearable for modern performers and suitable for the practical demands of filmmaking. Her costumes show a concern for fabrics, trims and construction, and she collaborated closely with costume workshops, hair and makeup departments, and cinematographers to ensure clothes worked under lighting and camera movement.

Selected filmography

Awards and recognition

Harris's Academy Award in 1966 placed her among the most visible British designers working in international cinema at the time. She received five BAFTA nominations during her career and won a BAFTA in 1967. Her designs have been discussed in studies of film costume and have appeared in retrospectives and exhibitions devoted to British screen wardrobe, where they are cited for their combination of period detail and cinematic practicality.

Harris died after a short illness on 30 May 2015 at a Chelsea medical facility in London; contemporary notices referred to her passing at a Chelsea hospital. For a concise professional overview of her work see a dedicated career profile.

  • Worked across genres from family adventure to satire and musical.
  • Balanced historical accuracy with on-set practicality.
  • Recognised with an Academy Award and BAFTA honours.

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