Oscars 2013: Costume design nominees

Keira Knightley and director Joe Wright on the set of "Anna Karenina." Costume design by Jacqueline Durran.

Wright presented the adaptation of the Tolstoy romance as if performed on a theatrical stage. His decision to base the actors' wardrobe on 1950s fashion merely accentuated the stylization of the settings.

Durran's designs are of the style of '50s couture, but also maintain the silhouettes of the 1870s. "We associate 1950s couture with chic elegance, and so this would be a signifier to the audience and a way in for them to the image [the director] wants conveyed," said Durran.

Credit: Focus Features