Kate Hawley
New Zealand costume designer
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Kate Hawley is a New Zealand costume designer and set designer. Her film credits include Pacific Rim (2013), Crimson Peak (2015), Suicide Squad (2016), and Frankenstein (2025), where she won an Academy Award and BAFTA Award for her work on the latter.
Kate Hawley | |
|---|---|
| Education | Wellington Polytech & Motley Theatre Design |
| Known for | Set and costume design |
On stage, Hawley created the sets and costumes for various productions at the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the New Zealand Festival, and the New Zealand Opera Company.
Biography
Hawley grew up in Wellington, New Zealand. She attended Samuel Marsden Collegiate School from 1982-1988, where she created costumes, props and scenery for local and school productions. She enrolled at the Wellington School of Design at Wellington Polytechnic, graduating in 1992 with a Diploma in Visual Communication Design.[1] In 1996, she received a scholarship to study at the Motley Theatre Design Course in London.[2][3][4]
Hawley began her career in stage productions, and later moved into film industry.[4] She has taught at Toi Whakaari The New Zealand Drama School.[5]
Hawley's theatre and opera credits as costume or set designer include productions of The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead for Auckland Theatre Company in 2006;[6] Lucia di Lammermoor for New Zealand Opera in 2007;[7] The Trial of the Cannibal Dog for the New Zealand International Arts Festival in 2008,[8] and Hansel and Gretel for Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2019.[9] In reviewing Lucia di Lammermoor, Pepe Becker wrote:
The all-female leaders of the creative team (director Lindy Hume, assistant director Sara Brodie and production designer Kate Hawley) are to be congratulated for their outstanding and ingenious direction. Venturing away from the traditional sort of production one expects for a Donizetti work proves to be a good move.[10]
In film, Hawley has worked as a crew member for Peter Jackson on The Lovely Bones and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and with Guillermo Del Toro as the costume designer on Pacific Rim (2013), Crimson Peak (2015)[11] and Frankenstein (2025). Her other film credits include creating the costumes for Edge of Tomorrow (2014),[12] Suicide Squad (2016),[13] and Mortal Engines (2018).[14]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | On a Clear Day | Gaby Dellal | |
| 2009 | The Lovely Bones | Peter Jackson | Additional costume designer |
| 2012 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | ||
| 2013 | Pacific Rim | Guillermo del Toro | |
| The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | Peter Jackson | Additional costume designer | |
| 2014 | Edge of Tomorrow | Doug Liman | |
| The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies | Peter Jackson | Additional costume designer | |
| 2015 | Crimson Peak | Guillermo del Toro | |
| 2016 | Suicide Squad | David Ayer | |
| 2018 | Mortal Engines | Christian Rivers | |
| 2020 | The Call of the Wild | Chris Sanders | |
| 2021 | Chaos Walking | Doug Liman | |
| 2025 | Frankenstein | Guillermo del Toro |
Television
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power | 8 episodes |
Awards and nominations
- Major associations
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Best Costume Design | Frankenstein | Won | [15] |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Academy Film Awards | ||||
| 2026 | Best Costume Design | Frankenstein | Won | [16] |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primetime Emmy Awards | ||||
| 2023 | Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes | The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Episode: "A Shadow of the Past") | Nominated | [17] |
- Miscellaneous awards
Notes
- Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.
- succeeded by the Wellington Theatre Awards in 2015.
- Tied with Ruth E. Carter for Sinners
