Noted Australian costume designer, Norma Moriceau, passed away on August 21 at the age of 72. Her best known work was on Crocodile Dundee and Crocodile Dundee II, as well as the original Mad Max trilogy.
Moriceau began working in costuming in the early ’70s on films such as Journey Among Women and Newsfront, but it was time in London’s nascent punk scene and her work on Julien Temple’s The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle that largely defined her career, as she brought a punk sensibility to her work on George Miller’s Mad Max 2 and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, clothing that universe’s post-apocalyptic scavengers in leather, rubber, fetish gear and tribal-influenced skins and feathers.
Her later work included three more collaborations with her Newsfront director, Philip Noyce: Dead Calm, Patriot Games, and The Quiet American, plus work on projects ranging from Something Wild to the Dolph Lundgren Punisher, to The Island of Doctor Moreau. Her final film was the 2003 Angelina Jolie vehicle, Beyond Borders.
I am deeply saddened to learn of Normas passing, she was way too young to leave… I worked with Norma on Mad Max-3 (Thunderdome). She was one of the most interesting people I had the good fortune to meet during my time in Australia… Her wit, humor and off center design sense were fantastic… needless to say I was really impressed with her.
I’m sorry she is gone from among us…
I am very sad to hear of Norma’s death. I am a distant relative and I sincerely wish I had of made contact with her. We had soo much in common. Both in design and the arts. We must have just passed each other in the London days, and with other travels. May her spirit soar! Many blessings to her sister and close friend Freeth.