Luciana Arrighi

Career

Luciana Arrighi was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1940. Her mother was an Australian, Eleanor "Nellie" née Cox, from Mudgee, who had been a showgirl with J.C. Williamson Ltd, and later a model for Schiaparelli in Paris. Nellie was also a cousin of the novelist Patrick White. Luciana's father was an Italian diplomat, Count Ernesto Arrighi. His first diplomatic posting after the end of World War II was to Australia. Nellie and her two daughters went out ahead of him, but he died suddenly before being able to join them. Luciana was raised and educated in Australia, studying at East Sydney Technical College (now the National Art School). She went to the United Kingdom, where she worked for the BBC; she was spotted by Ken Russell, who used her talents in some of his early films such as Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World (1966) and Women in Love (1969).

She went on to study painting in Italy and she has also worked in costume design in theatre and opera, including with Vienna State Opera, Opera Australia and The Royal Opera, Covent Garden.

In 1993 Luciana Arrighi received the Silver Ribbon for Best Production Design Award and the Oscar for Best Art Direction for the film Howards End directed by James Ivory. She was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Art Direction for the film The Remains of the Day (1993), also by James Ivory, and Anna and the King (1999) by Andy Tennant. She won the British BAFTA award for Best Art Direction the film for the television film The Gathering Storm (2002), directed by Richard Loncraine.

Selected filmography

Arrighi has won an Academy Award for Best Art Direction and has been nominated for two more:

Production design

Scenographer:

Costume design

Set and production design