-Who is Eva Coen?
I am a costume designer. I was born and raised in Rome, Italy, but spent my formative years in Paris. I studied art history and the history of costume design as a way to grow as a filmmaker. I had the good fortune of getting started early, so that by the time I hit 20, I was already working on a set. Just like any other work that you do with your hands, it is essential first to understand how to deal with daily occurrences as the shooting progresses. But I have never abandoned my interests as scholar and researcher: being a costume designer allows me to pursue them as I explore the lives of others. What I truly love about this line of work is that, as we learn about the historical and social context of the stories that we tell on film, we do not have the obligation to be authentic and philological. Instead, we get to create and conceive looks that often strengthen the narrative vision.
–From now on, you’ll be able to vote for the Oscars. What criteria will you use to determine your choices?
I am thrilled to be part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. First of all, I will get to watch many, many new movies, and share my thoughts with members from all over the world, representing 17 professional categories. Voting at the Awards is just one of the many important activities members engage in. There are ongoing opportunities to go deeper, and many interesting meetings, in person and online. For the upcoming 98th ceremony in 2026, there are interesting rule changes, including stipulations against the use of AI and, most importantly, as well as protections of authorship in the international category, which now also includes refugees and asylum seekers.
In voting for my category, my guidelines are to award works on the basis of the visual consistency of each costume design project, which I believe only ends up working out when it does not put itself forward. Costumes must be a functional part of the overall creative project: they must serve the actors wearing them, as well as the story being told.
When voting for best picture, I believe I will try to aim for movies that bring together stories I feel need to be told with excellence in the creative process.
-As a costume designer, who inspires you the most?
Living in Italy, my major source of inspiration is the artistic heritage we are all immersed in here. I am particularly obsessed with the chromatic choices of some artists: the way in which Giotto and Raffaello, but also Rothko and Klee, associate colors is at the core of my own creative drive. Working as a costume designer, I am also very lucky that I can draw inspiration from the wonderful creations of my colleagues, past and present, in the theater and cinema workshops where the costumes worn by actors who literally made film history are now preserved.
–WILD FILMMAKER supports independent cinema. What are your thoughts on arthouse film production?
Long live independent cinema, along with all of you at Wild Filmaker who tell about it with so much passion!
Arthouse films are the most alive form of the seventh art. The experimental nature of this kind of filmmaking is a big part of who I am as a professional. I find that, sometimes, a smaller budget allows a story to be told with more intensity. My cinematic culture is built on Andrè Bazin’s pages, and the Cahiers du Cinéma. But I have also watched a lot of art films, from the Surrealists and Dada to the video art of Bill Viola, Laurie Anderson, Vanessa Beecroft, and Sharin Neshat… I love working on debut projects with emerging directors, and on “difficult movies,” and I tend to balance those with TV series, among which I am partial to biopics, such as the one I did on the life of Oriana Fallaci for Paramount Plus and Minerva.
-What projects are you currently working on?
I am currently shooting a Netflix series based on a true story, directed by Claudio Cupellini with a fantastic cast. Lately, I have also enjoyed being invited to speak about my work at academic institutions and on film festival panels. I particularly like sharing my ideas about the relationship between costume design and the fashion industry, and talking about our profession. The next event will be at NYU in New York City in December, where I will be speaking about the costumes worn by the divas of silent film.
But my favorite project is, always, the next one on the horizon.
