Donna Berwick, a costume designer who worked on films such as Spike Lee's “Da 5 Bloods,” “Donnie Darko” and others, died of breast cancer on July 14. She was 66.
Perec was nominated for Best Contemporary Film by the Costume Designers Guild for her work on “Da 5 Bloods,” a Vietnam War veterans drama starring Delroy Lindo, Chadwick Boseman, Jonathan Majors and Clarke Peters. The 2020 Netflix original follows four veterans who return to Vietnam in search of the remains of their squad leader and the fortune he helped them hide.
She also designed the costumes for Lee's Inside Man, starring Denzel Washington and Clive Owens, as well as Ernest Dickerson's Juice, starring Tupac Shakur.
The late costume designer April Ferry and Berwick worked together on costumes for films and TV shows including “Donnie Darko,” “U571” and “Game of Thrones.”
Born in Queens, New York, Berwick earned a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts from the School of Visual Arts and an Associate's degree in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology before beginning her career in fashion design. She worked in New York City's Garment District for over a decade, designing clothes for singer and musician Grace Jones.
Berwick was also a member of the modern art scene, and was part of the Rodeo Caledonia art collective, which included female creatives who produced artworks across a variety of media. After working with the group, she partnered with Lee on several of his early films, including Malcolm X and Mo Better Blues, alongside designer Ruth Carter.
Berwick designed the costumes for Nelson George's HBO film “Life Support.” She also worked with Caroline Eslin on the costumes for Barry Jenkins' “If Beale Street Could Talk.” Her most recent film was Tony Goldwyn's “Ezra,” starring Bobby Cannavale and Robert De Niro.
Berwick is survived by her siblings Jeffrey, Stephen, Jamie, and Beverly Simmons.
