Advertisement

Hollywood pays homage to costume designers at the 12th annual CDG Awards

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Thankfully there were no “Avatar”-inspired looks at the 12th annual Costume Designers Guild awards held Friday night at the Beverly Hilton, though there were a few impressive gowns. Loni Anderson wore a strapless, taupe number made for her 25 years ago by her good friend, the late costume designer and former CDG president Robert Tuturice. Impressively, the gown still fit the 64-year-old actress like a glove as she spoke about the television career of Tuturice, who was honored with a CDG Hall of Fame award.

Other standout accolades went to Janie Bryant for “Mad Men,’ who glided to the stage to accept her award in a strapless, white fishtail gown with pink roses running down one side. Perhaps the most striking ensemble was donned by costume designer Sandy Powell, who received the Lacoste Career Achievement in Film award for her illustrious work in a long list of films, including “Gangs of New York,” “Shakespeare in Love,” “Velvet Goldmine” and “The Aviator.” Powell looked straight out of an old Ralph Lauren ad, tall and lithe in black wide-leg trousers, sheer ruffle-front blouse and a sequin beret cocked atop her pixie-cut red hair.

Advertisement

The actresses who attended kept it to low-key looks as if not to steal the spotlight from the night’s stars -- the costume designers. Kristen Bell wore a nude and gold Stella McCartney cocktail dress, Anna Kendrick was all understated glamour in a strapless white gown with chiffon rosette appliques from Elie Saab Couture, and Minka Kelly went simple in a nude strapless dress that was almost the exact color of her bronzed skin.

The one starlet who stood out was Emily Blunt, who was there to receive the Swarovski award in a steely blue dress with shoulder cutouts and beading by Georges Chakra Couture. Blunt thanked designers such as Powell, who she said “corseted her up within an inch of her life” on the set of ‘The Young Victoria,’ for which Powell also designed the costumes.

Powell was a double winner, taking home the award for excellence in a period film and joking that with her two Bulgari-designed statuettes, she could wear them as earrings. If anyone could make that work, it would be her.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Advertisement