The complete spectrum of artistry of costumes in film and television takes center stage every year at the Costume Designers Guild Awards.
Actress Emmy Rossum hosted the 17th annual addition of the gala, held Tuesday February 17 at the Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom.
Coming towards the end of awards season, it is considered the most freewheeling of the guild presentations which, with the exception of the Screen Actors Guild ceremony, are not televised, and therefore give presenters and recipients a wide swath of freedom of speech.
No one gets played off the stage for making a long acceptance speech for a presentation to one of the honorees.
The Costume Designers Guild hands out awards for costume design excellence in seven categories in film, television and commercials, as well as four honorary statues.
Naomi Watts was honored with the LACOSTE Spotlight Award, which was presented by Watts’ good friend and co-star in the film “We Don’t Live Here Anymore,” Laura Dern. Both women are Oscar nominees.
“Naomi, you are astounding. Beginning with Mulholland Drive, 21 Grams and The Ring, your career choices range from drama to comedy, thrillers and fantasy,” Dern said.
After giving Dern a warm hug, Watts wondered aloud about her ensemble for the evening. “Oh, no, do I have side boob?” she asked about the cream-colored halter gown she was wearing, arousing loud laughter from an audience whose job it is to make sure wardrobe malfunctions do not happen.
“I love clothing, costumes and the designers. I like to look at a person and how they present themselves and a lot of that is judged by the close that they wear,” said Watts, who also noted that her mother was a costume designer.
She discussed the costume design in her latest project, “Birdman,” which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
“We were thrust into a wild vision of Alejandro’s, working at the speed of light and changing close on-screen. It was intense but when we got it right there was a lot of high-fiving.”
Earlier in the evening, “Birdman’s” Albert Wolsky won the top prize for contemporary film. Milena Canonero won the award for best design in period film with “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” She also went on to win the Oscar on Sunday night. And Colleen Atwood received the guild’s award for fantasy film for designing the costumes of “Into the Woods.”
On the television side, Michele Clapton won for period/fantasy with “Game of Thrones,” Jenny Eagan took the contemporary series trophy for “True Detective” and Lou Eyrich one for me for television movie or miniseries with “American Horror Story: Freak Show.”
Deborah Nadoolman Landis received the prestigious Edith Head award for the advancement and education of the art of costume design, presented to her by someone who knows her very well – husband John Landis.
He noted how she was one of the driving forces behind putting on the annual dinner and awards show, which began in 1998. She served as CDG president from 2001 to 2007 and has written multiple books about the industry.
Nadoolman Landis’ acclaimed “Hollywood Costume” exhibit in Los Angeles, in the old May Co. building adjacent to LACMA, is closing on March 2 and she urged everyone who hadn’t to go and see it.
More star power came in the personage of Harrison Ford who in a lengthy yet entertaining presentation lauded Aggie Guerard Rodgers for receiving the career achievement award. They had first met on “American Graffiti” and also worked together in “The Conversation.”
Director Richard Linklater (“Boyhood”) received the distinguished collaborator award from Patricia Arquette. “This is the coolest award show, and what I want to know is if I can keep the tablecloth, he said, referring to the black sequined table coverings in the ballroom.
“I am so grateful because as directors, we are pretty full of ourselves– but I do not know one director who also thinks he could be a costume designer.”
