PHOTO ARCHIVE: Remembering the Costume Designs of Martin Pakledinaz | Playbill

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News PHOTO ARCHIVE: Remembering the Costume Designs of Martin Pakledinaz Playbill.com takes a look back at the career of Tony-winning costume designer Martin Pakledinaz, who died July 8. Some of his best-known work includes Kiss Me, Kate; Thoroughly Modern Millie; Wonderful Town; Grease; The Pajama Game and Anything Goes.

By Matthew Blank

July 09, 2012

Mr. Pakledinaz fabricated costumes for classics (Hedda Gabler, The Father, Hamlet, Summer and Smoke) and modern plays (Golden Child, Cellini), but was perhaps best known for his vibrant work on musicals like the 1999 Broadway revival of Kiss Me, Kate and Thoroughly Modern Millie, for which he won a Tony Award in 2002.

PHOTO ARCHIVE: From The Life to Nice Work...; Remembering the Costume Designs of Martin Pakledinaz

Chuck Cooper and Felicia Finley in <i>The Life</i>, 1997 — PHOTO ARCHIVE: From The Life to Nice Work...; Remembering the Costume Designs of Martin Pakledinaz

Playbill.com takes a look back at the career of Tony-winning Martin Pakledinaz, who died July 8, 2012. Some of his best-known work includes Kiss Me, Kate, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Wonderful Town, Grease, The Pajama Game and Anything Goes. Read the Playbill.com story.
47 PHOTOS

The cast of <i>You Never Can Tell</i>, 1987 — The cast of You Never Can Tell, 1987

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Amanda Plummer and Uta Hagen in <i>You Never Can Tell</i>, 1987 — Amanda Plummer and Uta Hagen in You Never Can Tell, 1987

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Stephen Lang and Kathleen Widdoes in <i>Hamlet</i>, 1992 — Stephen Lang and Kathleen Widdoes in Hamlet, 1992

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Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson in <i>Anna Christie</i>, 1993 — Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson in Anna Christie, 1993

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Victoria Clark, Jason Graae, Lynne Wintersteller and Alyson Reed in <i>A Grand Night for Singing</i>, 1993 — Victoria Clark, Jason Graae, Lynne Wintersteller and Alyson Reed in A Grand Night for Singing, 1993

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Victoria Clark, Jason Graae and Alyson Reed in <i>A Grand Night for Singing</i>, 1993 — Victoria Clark, Jason Graae and Alyson Reed in A Grand Night for Singing, 1993

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Jeffrey DeMunn, Laura Linney and Kelly McGillis in <i>Hedda Gabler</i>, 1994 — Jeffrey DeMunn, Laura Linney and Kelly McGillis in Hedda Gabler, 1994

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Chuck Cooper and Felicia Finley in <i>The Life</i>, 1997 — Chuck Cooper and Felicia Finley in The Life, 1997

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Lillias White in <i>The Life</i>, 1997 — Lillias White in The Life, 1997

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Sam Harris in <i>The Life</i>, 1997 — Sam Harris in The Life, 1997

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Lynn Sterling, Pamela Isaacs and Lillias White in <i>The Life</i>, 1997 — Lynn Sterling, Pamela Isaacs and Lillias White in The Life, 1997

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Natalie Portman in <i>The Diary of Anne Frank</i>, 1997 — Natalie Portman in The Diary of Anne Frank, 1997

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George Hearn and Natalie Portman in <i>The Diary of Anne Frank</i>, 1997 — George Hearn and Natalie Portman in The Diary of Anne Frank, 1997

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Jessica Walling, Harris Yulin, Jonathan Kaplan and Linda Lavin in <i>The Diary of Anne Frank</i>, 1997 — Jessica Walling, Harris Yulin, Jonathan Kaplan and Linda Lavin in The Diary of Anne Frank, 1997

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Kim Miyori, Randall Duk Kim, Tsai Chin and Ming-Na Wen in <i>Golden Child</i>, 1998 — Kim Miyori, Randall Duk Kim, Tsai Chin and Ming-Na Wen in Golden Child, 1998

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Marin Mazzie and Brian Stokes Mitchell in <i>Kiss Me, Kate</i>, 1999 — Marin Mazzie and Brian Stokes Mitchell in Kiss Me, Kate, 1999

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Burke Moses and Carolee Carmello in <i>Kiss Me, Kate</i> — Burke Moses and Carolee Carmello in Kiss Me, Kate

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Michael Berresse and company in <i>Kiss Me, Kate</i>, 1999 — Michael Berresse and company in Kiss Me, Kate, 1999

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Amy Spanger and Michael Berresse in <i>Kiss Me, Kate</i>, 1999 — Amy Spanger and Michael Berresse in Kiss Me, Kate, 1999

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Brian Stokes Mitchell in <i>Kiss Me, Kate</i>, 1999 — Brian Stokes Mitchell in Kiss Me, Kate, 1999

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Lee Wilkof and Michael Mulheren in <i>Kiss Me, Kate</i>, 1999 — Lee Wilkof and Michael Mulheren in Kiss Me, Kate, 1999

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Judd Hirsch and Marin Hinkle in <i>A Thousand Clowns</i>, 2001 — Judd Hirsch and Marin Hinkle in A Thousand Clowns, 2001

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Gavin Creel and Sutton Foster in <i>Thoroughly Modern Millie</i>, 2002 — Gavin Creel and Sutton Foster in Thoroughly Modern Millie

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Next Slide

Sutton Foster and cast in <i>Thoroughly Modern Millie</i>, 2002 — Sutton Foster and cast in Thoroughly Modern Millie, 2002

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Erin Dilly in <i>The Boys from Syracuse</i>, 2002 — Erin Dilly in The Boys from Syracuse, 2002

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Tom Hewitt and cast in <i>The Boys from Syracuse</i>, 2002 — Tom Hewitt and cast in The Boys from Syracuse, 2002

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Erin Dilly, Lauren Mitchell and Toni DiBuono in <i>The Boys from Syracuse</i>, 2002 — Erin Dilly, Lauren Mitchell and Toni DiBuono in The Boys from Syracuse, 2002

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The cast of <i>A Year With Frog and Toad</i>, 2003 — The cast of A Year With Frog and Toad, 2003

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Jennifer Westfeldt and Donna Murphy in <i>Wonderful Town</i>, 2003 — Jennifer Westfeldt and Donna Murphy in Wonderful Town, 2003

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Harry Connick Jr. and Kelli O'Hara in <i>The Pajama Game</i>, 2006 — Harry Connick Jr. and Kelli O'Hara in The Pajama Game, 2006

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Michael McKean and cast in <i>The Pajama Game</i>, 2006 — Michael McKean and cast in The Pajama Game, 2006

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Stephanie J. Block, Jeff McCarthy and Marcus Chait in <i>The Pirate Queen</i>, 2007 — Stephanie J. Block, Jeff McCarthy and Marcus Chait in The Pirate Queen, 2007

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Hadley Fraser and Stephanie J. Block — Hadley Fraser and Stephanie J. Block

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Max Crumm and Laura Osnes in <i>Grease</i>, 2007 — Max Crumm and Laura Osnes in Grease, 2007

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Norbert Leo Butz and Jenn Gambatese in <i>Is He Dead?</i>, 2007 — Norbert Leo Butz and Jenn Gambatese in Is He Dead?, 2007

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Gypsy_Broadway_Production_Photo_2008_Lenora Nemetz_Alison Fraser_Marilyn Caskey_HR — Lenora Nemetz, Alison Fraser, and Marilyn Caskey in Gypsy

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Boyd Gaines, Laura Benanti and Patti LuPone in <i>Gypsy</i>, 2008 — Boyd Gaines, Laura Benanti and Patti LuPone in Gypsy, 2008

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Laura Benanti in <i>Gypsy</i>, 2008 — Laura Benanti in Gypsy, 2008

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Angela Lansbury in <i>Blithe Spirit</i>, 2009 — Angela Lansbury in Blithe Spirit, 2009

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Tony Shalhoub and Brooke Adams in <i>Lend Me a Tenor</i>, 2010 — Tony Shalhoub and Brooke Adams in Lend Me a Tenor, 2010

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Sutton Foster and cast in <i>Anything Goes</i>, 2011 — Sutton Foster and cast in Anything Goes, 2011

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Sutton Foster and cast in <i>Anything Goes</i>, 2011 — Sutton Foster and cast in Anything Goes, 2011

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A scene from <i>The Normal Heart</i>, 2011 — A scene from The Normal Heart, 2011

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Sierra Boggess and Tyne Daly in <i>Master Class</i>, 2011 — Sierra Boggess and Tyne Daly in Master Class, 2011

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Frank Langella and Adam Driver in <i>Man and Boy</i>, 2011 — Frank Langella and Adam Driver in Man and Boy, 2011

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Jennifer Laura Thompson and cast in <i>Nice Work If You Can Get It</i>, 2012 — Jennifer Laura Thompson and cast in Nice Work If You Can Get It, 2012

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The cast of <i>Nice Work If You Can Get It</i>, 2012 — The cast of Nice Work If You Can Get It, 2012

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He was a particular favorite of director-choreographer Kathleen Marshall, who called on him to lend the appropriate period fizz on Broadway revivals of Wonderful Town, Grease, The Pajama Game and Anything Goes, as well as the new musical using old Gershwin songs, Nice Work If You Can Get It.

He worked frequently for the Roundabout Theatre Company, where he was championed early on by artistic director Todd Haimes, who, Mr. Pakledinaz once said, "liked my brain."

He was nominated for Tony Awards ten times, for The Life, Golden Child, Kiss Me, Kate, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Pajama Game, Gypsy, Blithe Spirit, Anything Goes and Nice Work If You Can Get It. He won for Millie and Kate. He won an Obie Award in 1999 for his swinging, club-scene-like costumes for a CSC production of Moliere's The Misanthrope starring Uma Thurman and Roger Rees.

Read a full obituary for Pakledinaz.

He is survived by six brothers and one sister, nine nieces and nephews, and his godson, Robert Gabriel Hill-Guarino.

Donations may be made to The Martin Pakledinaz Scholarship, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, 721 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10003.