‘Wicked,’ ‘Conclave,’ ‘Nosferatu’ Among Winners at the Costume Designers Guild Awards
“I want to thank every costume designer I ever worked with — if you’re in this room tonight and I haven’t been able to see you, it’s because of my shoulders,” said Janelle Monáe to laughs, accepting the Vanguard Spotlight trophy at the Costume Designers Guild Awards on Thursday at The Ebell of Los Angeles.
The exaggerated shoulders of her suit jacket towered around her small frame, in a playful, boxy and oversized look from Viktor & Rolf’s fall 2024 “Haute Abstraction” collection. She knew her audience: film and television’s leading costume designers.
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“I just want to say, I thank you so much,” she went on. “I want to thank your assistants. I want to thank your seamstresses, illustrators, everyone on your teams for helping me find the spirit of my character through costume.”
She got personal: “I’m going to close with saying this, it’s on my heart to express that I’ve been very fortunate to be welcomed into many communities, and I value being welcomed into this community. I love being a part of the non-binary community and being nonbinary. I love being pansexual. I love being a part of the LGBTQIA-plus family. I love my trans siblings. I love being Black.”
She also thanked her stylist Alexandra Mandelkorn, “As our lives change, sometimes so can our bodies, so can our mental states. Sometimes I’m feeling like I just want to be naked and free, and sometimes I’m like, ‘I just want to be very covered,’ and she goes there with me.”
Zoe Salda?a, working with stylist Petra Flannery, opted for sheer, a black silk and tulle dress.
“I want to make sure I’m not flashing,” she said, fixing her bust as she took the mic. The actor took home the Spotlight Award, presented by her “Emilia Pérez” director Jacques Audiard. “But then again this is the perfect room to flash, you know? Cause you guys will stitch me right up.”
She went on to share that she comes from a family of seamstresses. “There’s no greater memory than seeing my great-grandmother, my grandmother and my mother open up a bottle of Champagne just to build a dress,” she smiled.
The award ceremony brought out presenters Quinta Brunson, Colman Domingo, Mindy Kaling, Kate Beckinsale, Kathryn Hahn, Connie Nielsen and Justine Lupe, with Jackie Tohn as host. Many shared anecdotes about working with costume designers.
“So, I shot all of ‘Nobody Wants This’ pregnant, but when I first came in for my fitting, I was in my first trimester and I hadn’t told anyone yet,” said Lupe, one of the stars of the Netflix hit. “Our fantastic costume designer, Negar Ali, started the fitting with a tiny Gucci skirt and a Casa Vega shirt that cut off right above my belly button. I got into my car and immediately had a guilt-induced anxiety attack. I felt so bad that her plan for my character, Morgan, and her midriff would soon be foiled by my ticking timebomb of a pregnancy belly. But Negar was amazing. She handled the news with the agility and confidence of a pro and calmed my every worry. Week to week, she would refit me and find ways to accommodate my ever-changing body.”
The evening celebrated three costume designers for their work through the years. Salvador Pérez, former president of the Costume Designers Guild, received the Distinguished Service Award. Known for his work in “Hocus Pocus 2” and the “Pitch Perfect” films, Pérez was recognized for his dedication to advancing pay equity. The late Van Smith was honored by filmmaker and actor John Waters with the Edith Head Hall of Fame Award; the two have collaborated on many projects, including cult favorite “Pink Flamingos.” And Jenny Beavan — a three-time Oscar winner, celebrated for her work in “Sense and Sensibility” and “Cruella” — received the Career Achievement Award.
Here is a look at all of the night’s winners:
Excellence in Contemporary Film
“Conclave” – Lisy Christl
Excellence in Period Film
“Nosferatu” – Linda Muir
Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film
“Wicked” – Paul Tazewell
Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Television
“Dune: Prophecy: The Hidden Hand” – Bojana Nikitovic
Excellence in Short Form Design
“Can’t B Broken: Beyoncé: Verizon” – Shiona Turini
Excellence in Contemporary Television
“Hacks: Just for Laughs” – Kathleen Felix-Hager
Excellence in Period Television
“Shōgun: Ladies of the Willow World” – Carlos Rosario
Excellence in Costume Illustration
“Shōgun” – James Casey Holland
Excellence in Variety, Reality-Competition, Live Television
“The Masked Singer: Who Can it Be Now?” – Steven Norman Lee and Luke D’Alessandro
Launch Gallery: CDGA Awards 2025 Red Carpet Arrivals Photos, Live Updates
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