Unclaimed Baggage at the Oscars: Alabama filmmaker wears local tux

Unclaimed Baggage at the Oscars: Alabama filmmaker wears local tux

When you win three Oscars for millions across the world to see, you’d better dress to impress. If you can go local, even better.

It should surprise no one that the creative force behind “Everything Everywhere All at Once” can make a splash on the red carpet during their run of award season dominance. In particular, Daniel Scheinert does not shy away from making one fashion statement after the next. From vintage Alabama Crimson Tide T-shirts to an oversized camo poncho (paired well with his amazing ‘stache), Scheinert has some fun with his ceremonial wardrobe. Read more about it.

On Sunday, Scheinert’s film won seven Oscars, and the director and his filmmaking partner Daniel Kwan each won three awards including best picture, director and original screenplay. And, according to his mother, Scheinert did it wearing an item he bought at Scottsboro’s Unclaimed Baggage store. Oscar gold goes great with literally anything, but Scheinert sported the black tuxedo suit with multicolored buttons, along with a black tie, dark red dress shirt, pocket square and his trademark eyeglasses holder.

READ: Who are the Daniels? The Oscar-winning directors of ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’

Before he hit the champagne carpet at the 95th Annual Academy Awards, Scheinert was already an award show pro. The Daniels have attended the Golden Globes, SAG Awards and Film Independent Spirit Awards — just to name a few — where they’ve given one acceptance speech (and made one fashion statement) after another. And yes, Scheinert’s mother Becky, who joined her son at the ceremony, loves the speeches but joked the outfits are another story.

“He’s always been articulate,” she said. “I still make him crazy by telling him he says ‘like’ too much. A mother always nitpicks. But I think he’s done very well. Now, he and I will continue to arm-wrestle and argue about what he wears.”

Scheinert wore a large camouflage raincoat to the Film Independent Spirit Awards, which Ken said he thought he might have gotten from his grandfather, whom they called “a big hunter in Shelby County.”

READ: Vintage Big Al shirt, camo poncho: The wonderfully wacky wardrobe of an Alabama Oscar contender

His mom told AL.com, for the Oscars, Daniel planned to wear a tuxedo from Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro. His mom said they bought several years ago when he began gaining notice as a filmmaker and needed a tux for certain occasions. “Lo and behold, it fit his very tall, very skinny frame.”

From AL.com: The Unclaimed Baggage Center got its start in 1970 when insurance salesman Doyle Owens used a borrowed pickup truck and a $300 loan to buy 100 orphaned suitcases from the Trailway Bus Line in Washington D.C. He brought the baggage back to Scottsboro, where they were all sold within a single day. The center is now a 50,000-square-foot facility that works with major airlines to purchase orphaned suitcases from all over the country that are left unclaimed after the industry-standard allotment of 90 days. With a goal of maximizing the bag’s potential, its contents are either sold, recycled or donated to charity.

READ: ‘Jeopardy!’ contestants stumped by Unclaimed Baggage clue

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” won seven Oscars including best picture, director, original screenplay, actress (Michelle Yeoh), supporting actor (Ke Huy and supporting actress (Jamie Lee Curtis). The film follows an aging Chinese immigrant (Yeoh) swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save the world by exploring other universes and connecting with the lives she could have led. You can stream it on Showtime Anytime and Paramount+ (with a Showtime subscription). One of the best-reviewed movies of the year, the film has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 95%. The consensus says, “Led by an outstanding Michelle Yeoh, ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ lives up to its title with an expertly calibrated assault on the senses.” It also earned $107 million at the global box office, making it the highest grosser in distributor A24′s history.

Born in Birmingham, Scheinert attended Oak Mountain Elementary and Middle Schools before going to high school in Shades Valley. His parents, Ken and Becky, now live in Guntersville. His dad said Scheinert got into filmmaking through local competitions and musical theater during high school.

Alabama’s Daniel Scheinert, director of “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” with his mother, Becky Scheinert, at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)