'Budapest,' 'Birdman' take costume honors

LOS ANGELES — Best costume design Oscar nominees The Grand Budapest Hotel and Into the Woods were honored Tuesday at the 17th Costume Designers Guild Awards.

Grand Budapest Hotel's Milena Canonero was honored for excellence in period film while Into the Woods' Colleen Atwood was feted for excellence in fantasy film.

Meanwhile, Oscar contender Birdman took home the costume prize for excellence in contemporary film for Albert Wolsky at the Beverly Hilton Hotel ceremony hosted by actress Emmy Rossum.

It was a night dedicated to the craft of costume design in film and television. As Rossum said from the podium to start off the show, "I want to say thank you for inviting me to your party."

Actors were honored. Naomi Watts accepted the Lacoste Spotlight Award presented to her by actress Laura Dern. Watts talked about how her own mother became a costume designer, a craft that inspired her to go into acting. Watts said costume design was key to getting into any film character.

"The designer is a true artist. They have a way of allowing the audience to connect with the intricacy of each character," said Watts. "I feel lucky enough to showcase the enormous talent and skills of the designers every time I work."

Boyhood star Patricia Arquette presented her director (and Oscar nominee) Richard Linklater with the Distinguished Collaborator Award for his support of costume design.

"I'm here as a director to tell all costume designers, we're pretty full of ourselves, but I don't know one director who thinks they can be a costume designer," said Linklater. "We are extraordinarily dependent and in awe of your talent."

Harrison Ford presented costume designer Aggie Guerard Rodgers with this year's career achievement award for her outstanding work in film. Ford and Rodgers have collaborated on numerous films spanning 40 years, starting with American Graffiti.

Ford recalled working on a bit part, only two scenes, in the 1974 Francis Ford Coppola film The Conversation. But after a wardrobe spree with Rodgers to build up his character, he showed Coppola his new $900 suit and $500 Italian shoes.

"(Coppola) looked at his investment, he looked at the lines. And (suddenly) I had another four scenes," said Ford. "That's what you people do. you do the work that cannot be done alone. A picture is worth one thousand words. A costume is everything."

Here are the complete list of winners:

OUTSTANDING MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES

American Horror Story: Freak Show - Lou Eyrich

OUTSTANDING PERIOD/FANTASY TELEVISION SERIES

Game of Thrones - Michele Clapton

OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY TELEVISION SERIES

True Detective - Jenny Eagan

EXCELLENCE IN COMMERCIAL COSTUME DESIGN

Army 'Defy Expectations, Villagers' - Christopher Lawrence

EXCELLENCE IN FANTASY FILM

Into the Woods - Colleen Atwood

EXCELLENCE IN PERIOD FILM

The Grand Budapest Hotel - Milena Canonero

EXCELLENCE IN CONTEMPORARY FILM

Birdman - Albert Wolsky