Native American costume designer files lawsuit for work on Killers of the Flower Moon
Chippewa costume designer Kristi Marie Hoffman is suing Apple, the Costume Designers Guild, and Jacqueline West (the costume designer who hired her for KOTFM), alleging that she was deliberately excluded from awards consideration in retaliation for raising complaints of discrimination.
Hoffman's lawsuit alleges that she was brought on because West needed someone with the cultural competency to handle the project, and West also wanted to make sure that Native Americans were represented among the crew. Hoffman claims that she did most of the research and costume design for the film, particularly for the costumes worn by the Osage actors. She says that she worked alongside West and the Osage Nation for about a year to create accurate costumes, effectively serving as an “operational co-costume designer.” She also says that she designed the jacket worn by Leonardo DiCaprio in his performance as Ernest Burkhart, which received praise for its authenticity and originality.
When the Costume Designers Guild Award nominations were first announced, Hoffman was initially listed alongside lead costume designer Jacqueline West and identified as the first assistant costume designer, but Hoffman's name was later removed at West's request and Hoffman’s title was changed to the more generic "assistant costume designer" credit which was applied to all assistant designers, including those in secondary roles.
When Hoffman notified West, her guild, and Apple that this credit was incorrect, they ignored her complaints. She subsequently filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which resulted in a settlement in December 2022. The CDG later ruled that Hoffman's credit removal was improper.
Hoffman's lawsuit alleges that as a result of her complaints and EEOC lawsuit, the studio retaliated by not acknowledging her contributions, denying her credit, excluding her from media conversations about the movie's costumes, and “attempting to erase her contributions.” She claims that during marketing for the movie and the push for awards season, the costume design work was represented as the product of West and Osage wardrobe consultant Julie O’Keefe. Hoffman claims that they took credit for her work in interviews, social media, and conferences, “completely burying Hoffman’s contributions.”
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