Yvonne Blake

Yvonne Ann Blake (17 April 1940 – 17 July 2018) was an English and Spanish costume designer. She is perhaps best known for creating the costumes for Richard Donner's acclaimed superhero film Superman (1978) and its sequel, Richard Lester's Superman II (1980). She has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design two times, winning along with Antonio Castillo for their work on Nicholas and Alexandra (1971).

Early life and education
Blake was born in Manchester, England, on 17 April 1940. At 16, she won one-year scholarship to study art, design, and sculpture at the Manchester's Regional College of Art and then acquired an internship at London's costume house Bermans.

Career
Blake began her career as an assistant costume designer at Hammer Film Productions, working on the thriller drama film Never Take Sweets from a Stranger (1960) and the horror film The Shadow of the Cat (1961). She received her first major screen credits for designing costumes in Daniel Mann's 1966 drama film Judith, starring Sophia Loren.

In the late 1960s, Blake worked for the first time in Spain. She created the wardrobes for Richard Quine's 1969 Western comedy film ''A Talent for Loving, and while on the sets, she was introduced to the assistant director Gil Carretero, with whom she later married.

In 1970, Hollywood film producer Sam Spiegel approached her to work with director Franklin J. Schaffner to create the costumes for his epic period drama about the last czars of Russia, Nicholas and Alexandra (1971). Blake, then-29-year-old, signed on the project, which she recalled as the biggest challenge of her career. During extensive preparations for that large-scale production, she was in charge of several departments and caught in the middle of a creative team conflict. Blake felt extremely exhausted at the end of the filming and even considered quitting the profession altogether. Despite various obstacles, her efforts, along with those of fellow collaborator Antonio Castillo, ultimately paid off, winning them the Academy Award for Best Costume Design.

Spanish Film Acadeny presidency
In October 2016, Blake was elected president of the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain. From that position, she fought to broaden the academy's horizons and encourage cooperation with international associations. Blake arranged a meeting between the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and its Spanish counterpart on the one-year anniversary of her election. She was also among the driving forces behind the Federation of Ibero-American Film Academies.

Blake suffered a stroke in January 2018 and had been on medical leave from the presidency, with Mariano Barroso served as interim president in her absence. He was later elected in his own right in June of that year.

Illness and death
Blake died of complications from a stroke in Madrid on 17 July 2018, at age 78.

Major associations
Academy Awards

BAFTA Awards

Emmy Awards

Other honors

 * Medal of Merit in Labour in Gold (Kingdom of Spain, 14 November 2011).
 * National Cinematography Prize (Kingdom of Spain, 17 September 2012).