Biography

She was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2017 Queen's New Years Honours List for her services to Drama Production. She is a costume designer in London, England.

As of 2016, she has contributed with the costume design of seven films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: A Room with a View (1986), Howards End (1992), The Remains of the Day (1993), Sense and Sensibility (1995), Gosford Park (2001), The King's Speech (2010), and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). Of those, only The King's Speech (2010) is the winner in the category.

Studied at London's Central School of Art and Design

Daughter, Caitlin Albery Beavan, born 1985.

Was nominated for Broadway's 2002 Tony Award as Best Costume Designer for "Private Lives."

I think the general misconception [about costume designing] is that you do this lovely airy fairy job, wafting around with bits of glittery fabric, having champagne with all the stars. The actual reality is that it's much less glamorous. You're storytelling but you're doing it by going out and finding clothes or making them or scribbling about. Always trying to do it on too low a budget but still trying to fulfill everybody's expectations. It's a great job, I don't want to say it isn't, but it isn't quite the drifty, fun, lofty thing that people seem to think. It certainly isn't glamorous, not the day-to-day grime.