California Dreaming At The CDGs

BY: Marjorie Galas, Editor

Salvador Perez felt a little uneasy walking the red carpet at the 16th Annual Costume Designers Guild Awards.  The president of the guild and active costume designer (he builds and creates the fashions worn by Mindy Kalig and the cast on the Fox show "The Mindy Project") always gets taken by surprise when the cameras are pointed his way.

"For someone who is usually behind the camera making sure everybody looks good, it's very disconcerting to be in front of the camera," said Perez.

While many of the press who gathered at the CDG where clamoring for the attention of the evening's special recipients Judd Apatow (Distinguished Collaborator) and Amy Adams (LaCoste Spotlight Award), Perez was happy for the ever growing attendance of the event and the recognition of the nominees, and a show he felt would be exciting to attendees who've experienced it in the past.

"By it's nature it's fresh because there is a new batch of nominees each year.  As costume designers we are so often a forgotten department.  People thing it is all shopping and how hard can that be, but we are story tellers and we bring the characters to life," said Perez.

Backstage, Outstanding Made for Television Movie or Mini Series winner Ellen Mirojnick shared the fact that the costumes she designed for "Behind the Candelabra" have been included in the Liberace Foundation's collection.  "What an honor that is, I can't even begin to tell you," said Mirojnick.   Tom Broecker, winner of Outstanding Contemporary Television Series for "House of Cards" (a category in which he was a double nominee;  his second nomination was for Saturday Night Live) will be gathering a number of the pieces he created for the first season of the series in his personal collection.  Contracted only for the first season, Broecker was excited to have set the blueprint for the series.

"I look at it like raising a child, and now the child is ready to go to college and you just hope that you did your best job and it's up to someone else to take it forward," said Broecker.

Caroline McCall, winner for Outstanding Period/Fantasy Television Series picked up the reigns of previous award winning costume designer Susannah Buxton as "Downton Abby" was approaching the third season.  While she recognized the challenge of stepping into a position that had previously won an Emmy and CDG Award, she worked to not let her fear take hold.

It was very intimidating, especially knowing the first costumes I would be designing would be for Mary's wedding.  But you kind of have to put all that pressure behind you.  You have to put aside all the thoughts of what a massive success it has been or else you would just be paralyzed.  I really got to stay true to the actors and the characters."

The evening's highlight was when Career Achievement recipient April Ferry took the stage.  Her career began in 1968 and her credits include "The Big Chill" "The Edge of Love," "Donnie Darko" and the HBO series "Rome."  Backstage Ferry stated she had no problem embracing new technologies and the challenges they've placed upon costume designers.  While reluctant to be negative on a joyous occasion, she did express her concern for patterns affecting the production community in California over the last century.

"I miss the resources that we used to have that we don't have any more because the business is not here,"   said Ferry.  "I am working here for the first time in ten years.  I've been all over, and I love traveling and I love working in other places, but it is really nice to be home."

For a complete list of the evening's winners, please visit the Costume Designers Guild website by clicking the link below:

http://costumedesignersguild.com/awards/current-awards/