Alexandra Byrne is a costume designer

Costume Designer

A costume designer or costume mistress/master is a person whose responsibility is to design costumes for a film or stage production. He or she is considered an important part of the "production team", working alongside the director, scenic and lighting designers as well as the sound designer. The...

. She trained on the Motley Theatre Design Course

Motley Theatre Design Course

Motley Theatre Design Course is a one-year independent theatre design course in London. It was founded at Sadler's Wells Opera in 1966.- Sadler's Wells Opera & English National Opera:...

 under Margaret Harris

Margaret Harris

Margaret Frances Harris was an English theatre and opera costume and scenic designer.-Early years:Harris was born in Hayes, Kent, the fourth child and second daughter of William Birkbeck Harris, a Lloyds Insurance clerk, and his wife Kathleen Marion, née Carey...

 before embarking on her career as a costume designer in film.


She has designed the costumes for twelve films in her career, earning Academy Award nominations for four of them - Elizabeth

Elizabeth (film)

Elizabeth is a 1998 biographical film written by Michael Hirst, directed by Shekhar Kapur, and starring Cate Blanchett in the title role of Queen Elizabeth I of England, alongside Geoffrey Rush, Christopher Eccleston, Joseph Fiennes, Sir John Gielgud, Fanny Ardant and Richard Attenborough...

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0126107/awards, the 2007 sequel Elizabeth: The Golden Agehttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0126107/awards, Hamlet

Hamlet (1996 film)

Hamlet is a 1996 film version of William Shakespeare's classic play of the same name, adapted and directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also stars in the title role as Prince Hamlet...

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0126107/awards and Finding Neverland

Finding Neverland

Finding Neverland is a 2004 semi-biographical film about playwright J. M. Barrie and his relationship with a family who inspired him to create Peter Pan, directed by Marc Forster. The screenplay by David Magee is based on the play The Man Who Was Peter Pan by Allan Knee...

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0126107/awards; and considerable acclaim for three others - Persuasion

Persuasion (1995 film)

Producer Fiona Finlay had for several years been interested in making a film based on the novel Persuasion, and approached screenwriter Nick Dear about adapting it for television...

, Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Captain Corelli's Mandolin (film)

Captain Corelli's Mandolin is a 2001 film directed by John Madden and based on the novel of the same name by Louis de Bernières. It stars Nicolas Cage and Penélope Cruz.-Plot:...

and The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera (2004 film)

The Phantom of the Opera is a 2004 film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical of the same name, which in turn was based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux....

. She won the Academy Award for Elizabeth: The Golden Age. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0126107/awards

She was also nominated for the Tony Award

Tony Award

The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...

 in 1990 for Best Scenic Design for Some Americans Abroad.http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=24726

She is married to actor Simon Shepherd

Simon Shepherd

Simon Shepherd is a British actor. He is well known to TV audiences from many appearances, including Dr Will Preston in five series of ITV's Peak Practice....

with four children.

Awards and nominations

• Best Costume Design: Hamlet (1996)
• Best Costume Design: Elizabeth (1998)
• Best Costume Design: Finding Neverland (2004)
• Best Costume Design: Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)

External links