Italian costumist, Piero Tosi, was awarded an Oscar for the Career at the recent annual Los Angeles ceremony. Tosi worked for many of Italys leading film directors, such as Zeffirelli, Visconti, De Sica, Fellini, Pasolini and Bolognini, creating spectacular costumes, such as Angelicas ball-gown in the waltz scene of The Leopard, worn by Claudia Cardinali.
Cardinali, in fact, collected the award on Tosis behalf as the 86-year old costumist has always refused to fly, turning down offers from many eminent Hollywood film producers.
Tosi debutted in Viscontis Bellissima, dressing Anna Magnani, in 1951. The Oscar crowns an illustrious career which has already collected 5 Oscar nominations, 2 Baftas, 3 Davids and 8 Silver Ribbons. Meanwhile, Tosi continues to teach costume designing at the Italian National Film School, Rome ounded in 1935 and Western Europes oldest Experimental Centre of Cinematography
