Costume worn by Ben Cross in Chariots of Fire, designed by Milena Canonero, 1981.

Inspired by the true story of Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams competing in the 1924 Olympics, Chariots of Fire was one of the most influential British films of the 1980s. Designer Milena Canonero won her second Academy Award for her costumes and the designs had an enormous influence on fashion. Menswear designers, including Ralph Lauren, introduced clothes that echoed the nostalgic British tailoring: tweeds, draped jackets and argyle sweaters became popular after the film was released. Canonero maintains costume design has little to do with fashion: ‘it was a wonderful lucky stroke. We're working on a movie, we're not thinking of fashion headlines. Sometimes it clicks with fashion. When that happens, you feel great.’

The British Film Institute (BFI) acquired its costume collection for display at the Museum of the Moving Image, which existed on the South Bank in London between 1988 and 1999. The collection is made up of British, European, American and Japanese films and covers the period from the silent film era to the mid-1990s. It contains a wealth of historic and significant film costumes worn by major performers and designed by some of the 20th century’s most important film costume designers. The collection was transferred to the V&A in 2015.