Eiko Ishioka was a beloved legend. The costume designer brought dreams and nightmares to reality through her work. In films such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Cell, and The Fall, she displayed a level of an imagination that’s untouchable. Sadly, Ishioka is no longer with us, but there’s no question audiences and cinephiles will continue to marvel at her work for decades, if not centuries.
Ishioka’s work with Francis Ford Coppola on Dracula earned her an Academy Award. The two first met on Apocalypse Now. She designed a poster for the film, which unsurprisingly, blew Coppola’s socks off. He wanted to keep working with the artist, and thankfully for all us Dracula fans, he did just that.
Ishioka’s work went beyond costumes. She was a production designer, as well, and did mind-melting work in Paul Schrader‘s Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters. She not only had an impact in film, theater, and music, but even the NBA. She designed the Houston Rockets logo. Simply put, nobody saw or sees the world quite like Eiko Ishioka.
