“I had no idea it was such a union gig,” Bette Midler told the crowd to loud applause at the Costume Designers Guild Awards on Monday night. “My God, it’s all about pay equity, who knew? I thought it was about clothes.”
It’s certainly about clothes at CDGA — now in its 25th year — but the Costume Designers Guild, Local 892, is a union after all, and labor rights has long been a topic of conversation at its shindigs. The group, a mix of professional costume designers, assistant costume designers and illustrators working in film, television, commercials and other media, mingled and networked while celebrating industry leaders inside the Fairmont Century Plaza ballroom in Los Angeles. New this year: the ceremony now has a name for its statuette, called The Adrian.
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Going late, past 11 p.m., guests included presenters Austin Butler, Hunter Schafer, Elizabeth Debicki, Christina Ricci, as well as Cate Blanchett and “Elvis” director Baz Luhrmann. Costume designers Deborah L. Scott and Rachael M. Stanley were awarded the Career Achievement Award and Distinguished Service Award, respectively.
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Midler was one of two talent honorees of the evening; “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Oscar nominee Angela Bassett received the Spotlight Award, while Midler took home the Distinguished Collaborator Award.
“This is the perfect award for Bette,” said presenter Billy Crystal, who brought the biggest laughs of the night. “I can’t think of anybody who understands costumes and design like Bette. I mean, I can think of RuPaul, Liberace, and maybe what Marjorie Taylor Greene wore to the State of the Union Address. The white outfit. The only thing missing was the hood.”
Gasps and guffaws filled the room.
Taking on a more serious tone, he went on praising Midler: “From a career that has spanned five decades and transcends all boundaries, Bette has given us some of the most powerful and moving and hilarious performances of any artist in history.”
The actress has four Golden Globes, three Grammys, three Primetime Emmys, two Tony Awards and a Kennedy Center honor, he added. “Not bad.”
“Though not the big one, sadly,” she joked of the Oscar when she took the mic.
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“When I first started working, I was in rags,” said Midler. “And I still have a fondness for them in my private life. Yes, I do show up looking like an unmade bed, and I love it. But on stage and on screen, thanks to you, I have reached levels of gorgeousness, flamboyance and insanity that I could never have achieved without your extraordinary imaginations, your artistry, your dedication and your stellar crews…You hold the keys to the characters.”
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Bassett shared similar sentiments, discussing the importance of wardrobe to get into character. She was introduced by longtime collaborator Ruth E. Carter, who joked that there were two digits she knows by memory: “My mom’s phone number and Angela Bassett’s measurements.”
“Costume designers are the ultimate partners in filmmaking,” said Bassett. Her clothing as Queen Ramonda “was a significant part of what allowed me to find my own way through the character.”
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Here are all the winners in bold:
Excellence in Contemporary Film
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” — Jenny Eagan
“Nope” — Alex Bovaird
“Tár” — Bina Daigeler
“Top Gun: Maverick” — Marlene Stewart
“Women Talking” — Quita Alfred
Excellence in Sci-Fi / Fantasy Film
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” — Shirley Kurata
“Avatar: The Way of Water” — Deborah L. Scott
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” — Ruth E. Carter
“Hocus Pocus 2” — Salvador Perez
“Thor: Love and Thunder” — Mayes C. Rubeo
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Excellence in Period Film
“Elvis” — Catherine Martin
“Babylon” — Mary Zophres
“Don’t Worry Darling” — Arianne Phillips
“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” — Jenny Beavan
“The Woman King” — Gersha Phillips
Excellence in Contemporary Television
“Wednesday: Wednesday’s Child is Full of Woe” — Colleen Atwood & Mark Sutherland
“Emily in Paris: What’s it All About…” — Marylin Fitoussi
“Euphoria: Trying to Get to Heaven Before They Close the Door” — Heidi Bivens
“Hacks: The Captain’s Wife” — Kathleen Felix-Hager
“The White Lotus: In the Sandbox” — Alex Bovaird
Excellence in Sci-Fi / Fantasy Television
“House of the Dragon: The Heirs of the Dragon” — Jany Temime
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: A Shadow of the Past” — Kate Hawley
“Westworld: Generation Loss” — Debra Beebe
“What We Do in the Shadows: The Wedding” — Laura Montgomery
“The Witcher: Blood Origin: Of Mages, Malice, and Monstrous Mayhem” — Lucinda Wright
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Excellence in Period Television
“The Crown: Ipatiev House” — Amy Roberts
“Bridgerton: The Choice” — Sophie Canale
“The Gilded Age: Let the Tournament Begin” — Kasia Walicka-Maimone
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Maisel vs. Lennon: The Cut Contest” — Donna Zakowska
“Pam & Tommy: I Love You, Tommy” — Kameron Lennox
Excellence in Variety, Reality-Competition, Live Television
“Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls: Girl Run That Sh*t Back” — Carrie Cramer & Jason Rembert
“Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration” — Marina Toybina
“Dancing with the Stars: Halloween Night” — Daniela Gschwendtner & Steven Norman Lee
“RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race: RuPaul-A-Palooza!” — Tony Iniguez
“Saturday Night Live: Miles Teller/Kendrick Lamar” — Tom Broecker, Ashley Dudek & Cristina Natividad
Excellence in Short Form Design
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: “Spitting Off the Edge of the World” (Music Video) — Natasha Newman-Thomas
Disney+ Has All the GOATs (Commercial) — Melissa DesRosiers
McDonald’s: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Commercial) — Sarah Kinsumba
Nike: Father Time (Commercial) — Shawna Trpcic (For Jason Momoa)
Not Today Flu feat. Jason Alexander (Commercial) — Dawn Ritz
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