Trigger warning: This article mentions death, reader discretion is advised.Albert Wolsky, the Oscar-winning costume designer behind ‘All That Jazz’, ‘Bugsy’ and ‘Grease’, has died at 95. The French-born designer shaped some of Hollywood’s most recognizable screen looks across five decades, from Bob Fosse’s show-business world to Olivia Newton-John’s final black outfit in ‘Grease’. His work moved between Broadway, musicals, dramas, thrillers, and modern studio films with rare ease.
Albert Wolsky dies at 95
The Hollywood Reporter reported that Wolsky died on Saturday, May 23, at his home in Los Angeles. His death was also confirmed by friends, colleagues, and industry admirers, according to TheWrap. He was remembered as one of the most respected costume designers in film and theater.Wolsky won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for Bob Fosse’s ‘All That Jazz’ and later won again for Warren Beatty’s ‘Bugsy’. He also earned Oscar nominations for ‘Sophie’s Choice’, ‘The Journey of Natty Gann’, ‘Toys’, ‘Across the Universe’, and ‘Revolutionary Road’.The Hollywood Reporter noted that Wolsky “set hearts racing” when he dressed Olivia Newton-John in “those body-hugging black sharkskin pants” for ‘Grease’. The look became one of the most famous costume moments in the 1978 musical, which also starred John Travolta.
Albert Wolsky’s movies and Oscar legacy
Wolsky was born in Paris in 1930. His family fled France during World War II to escape the Nazi occupation. He later studied at the City College of New York and served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1956, spending much of that time in Japan.After his military service, Wolsky worked in his father’s travel agency before moving toward costume design. He later assisted Broadway costume maker Helene Pons and worked on the original Broadway production of ‘Camelot’. He then built his own stage career before shifting to film.His early screen credits included ‘The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter’, ‘Harry and Tonto’, ‘The Gambler’, ‘Lenny’, ‘An Unmarried Woman’, ‘Manhattan’, and ‘Grease’. He also designed costumes for ‘You’ve Got Mail’, ‘Galaxy Quest’, ‘Road to Perdition’, ‘Jarhead’, ‘Birdman’, ‘Ad Astra’, ‘The Woman in the Window,’, and ‘Amsterdam’.Wolsky served four terms on the Academy’s board of governors and received major career honors from the Costume Designers Guild. His longtime partner, ‘All My Children’ actor James Mitchell, died in 2010.
