It’s the best time of the year: the nominees for the 2026 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards have been announced, celebrating the best of the best in horror. That includes costuming, which helps bring to life every terrifying creature and brave final girl, dressing them up (or down) to immerse them in their unique worlds — and potentially earn them the award for Best Costume Design.
Last year’s award went to Linda Muir for her work on Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu. But who will take home the crown this year? Before you vote, check out all the nominees for Best Costume Design here.
-
Dust Bunny — Olivier Bériot & Catherine Leterrier
DUST BUNNY (Credit: Lionsgate) In a world that hinges so heavily on the creations of a child’s imagination, it’s important that the costuming is just as whimsical. For Bryan Fuller’s feature debut, designers Olivier Bériot and Catherine Leterrier took that idea to the max, contrasting bright colors and playful patterns with a darker, edgier tone to keep things balanced, perfecting the look of the family-friendly horror film.
Dust Bunny also earned Chainsaw nominations for Best Limited Release, Best Lead Performance, Best Supporting Performance, Best Creature FX, Best First Feature, Best Cinematography, and Best Director.
Frankenstein — Kate Hawley
Mia Goth in FRANKENSTEIN (Credit: Netflix) With as lush as Guillermo del Toro’s films are known to be, it’s no surprise that the costumes for his version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein go above and beyond. From Elizabeth’s blue feathered headdress to the coat of furs the Creature dons, each detail is lovingly created to evoke both the film’s nineteenth century setting and its larger-than-life themes, mixing historical accuracy with bright, bold designs that make audiences want to wear the clothes themselves.
Frankenstein also earned Chainsaw nominations for Best Supporting Performance, Best Score, and Best Makeup FX.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple — Carson McColl & Gareth Pugh
Ralph Fiennes as Dr Kelson in Nia DaCosta's 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE (Credit: Sony) Is apocalypse fashion a thing? If it wasn’t before, it might be now, thanks to the designs in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Ralph Fiennes serves unhinged realness thanks to designers Carson McColl and Gareth Pugh, who also served as production designers, and the Jimmies evoke an unsettling kind of cultish aura that’ll make anyone second guess about using their designs as Halloween costumes.
The Bone Temple also earned Chainsaw nominations for Best Wide Release, Best Lead Performance, Best Supporting Performance, Best Makeup FX, Best Screenplay, Best Score, Best Cinematography, and Best Director.
The Bride! — Sandy Powell
Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley in Maggie Gyllenhaal's THE BRIDE! (Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures) While we've seen plenty of versions of Frankenstein before — see Guillermo del Toro’s version above — none have ever taken the monster and his Bride to 1930s Chicago. Oscar winning costume designer Sandy Powell breathed new life in Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale as the resurrected lovers, creating silhouettes that both honor the Hays Code era in which the film is set, but also the punk rock sensibilities of director Maggie Gyllenhaal.
The Bride! also earned Chainsaw nominations for Best Wide Release, Best Lead Performance, Best Makeup FX, and Best Director.
Queens of the Dead — David Tabbert
QUEENS OF THE DEAD (Credit: IFC) It’s no surprise that a film about drag queens — some of the most fashionable people around — has incredible costumes. Designer David Tabbert, who’s also worked on queer films like Fire Island, imbues every person (and zombie) inside the film’s Bushwick club with a sense of unique identity and fashion, representing not only the high femme art of drag queens, but also every spectrum of queer identities — even if some of those happen to be undead.
Queens of the Dead also earned Chainsaw nominations for Best Limited Release and Best First Feature.
