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In The Hollywood Reporter, Merle Ginsberg notes there’s “a long history of fashion designers creating costumes for stars above and beyond what a film’s costume designer does–and not getting the credit they crave.” The most famous example of this, Ginsberg points out, is Edith Head winning the Oscar for Sabrina when Givenchy outfitted Hepburn for the film.

In the case of Rodarte for Black Swan, a source told THR that the Mulleavy’s were “naive about movies,” meaning they didn’t negotiate credits in their initial deal, and weren’t members of the the Costume Design Guild when they worked on the film (they are now). Fox Searchlight reportedly wanted to submit Westcott and the Mulleavy sisters for Oscar consideration, but guild rules dictate that only the front credit designer is eligible.

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"Last night, amid congratulations from Alec Baldwin and Angela Lansbury at Cipriani 42nd Street, Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte became the first fashion designers to be honored with a National Art Award from Americans for the Arts. Kate, who always gives their speeches, said she was reeling, given they only started making clothes after having graduated from UC Berkeley with degrees in art history and English, respectively, and moving home to live with their parents. “Laura and I moved, didn’t work, and watched horror films for a year and our parents didn’t say anything to us. I wonder if they had any thoughts of, ‘God, the kids I have are just going nowhere,’” said Kate. Now they’re not only winning awards and putting on some of the most highly anticipated shows at New York Fashion Week, but they also just designed costumes for loyal Rodarte customer Natalie Portman’s new ballet movie, Black Swan."
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The Rodarte Designers Discuss Learning the Couture Art of Tutu-Making to Create Black Swan’s Ballet Costumes — The Cut

Are the Rodarte sisters the last great unexpected fashion greats without super famous parents or heavily edited TV competition personalities? At least for a decade, I predict.