Real estate isn’t the only business that’s subject to the law of “location, location, location.” So are the clothing and entertainment industries, which also intersect in the area of costume design. And with the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising’s Hollywood-friendly location in downtown Los Angeles, the “Art of Motion Picture Costume Design” show has become a highlight of the FIDM Museum & Galleries’ calendar. Indeed, the annual exhibition, which showcases original costumes from the previous year’s major films, has become the biggest show of its kind in the country, according to museum director Robert Nelson. Since its humble launch 15 years ago, with costumes from eight films displayed in a 3,000-square-foot gallery, the exhibition has taken over an 11,000-square-foot space with designs from 26 movies, including this year’s nominees and last year’s winner for best costume design. When Oscar nominations are announced, “costume designers are among the last to be mentioned, and they’re such an integral part of the [movie] industry,” Nelson said. “Without costumes, what do you have? We wanted to honor the costume designers and their craft.”
Opening night of the exhibition is when everyone takes a bow. This year, the five costume designers represented in the show who joined FIDM’s 1,200 guests were Oscar nominee Sharen Davis (Dreamgirls), Deborah Hopper (Flags of Our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima), Joseph Porro (Ultraviolet), Mayes C. Rubeo (Apocalypto), and Dorinda Wood (For Your Consideration). Also invited were members of the Costume Designers Guild, which helped the school mount the exhibit; studio executives and costume archivists; and the school’s supporters.
The evening was a collaboration between FIDM’s Nelson, special events coordinator Mary Burroughs, and the school’s longtime events partners—Renaissance Caterers and Classic Party Rentals. Since textile design is one of FIDM’s majors, the team looked to fabric for its inspiration in selecting the evening’s palette. They started with a colorful kimono fabric used in Memoirs of a Geisha, the 2006 Oscar winner for achievement in costume design. Its ocean-wave pattern was reproduced on the invitations, and its broad spectrum of greens, blues, golds, and terra cotta became the starting point for the decor of the tent adjacent to the exhibition entrance, where guests sipped, supped, and schmoozed. The palette was repeated and reinterpreted in the contemporary design of the tablecloths, on which sat lamps with gold-beaded shades. Dramatic gold curtains dressed the building archway leading to the tent, and swirls of shimmery green fabric covered buffet tables that were topped with an eclectic array of sirloin en croute, Caesar salad, carnitas, and corn cakes. By 8 PM, when the party was scheduled to shut down, both the tent and the galleries were still humming with activity. So FIDM president and C.E.O. Tonian Hohberg kept the bash going for another hour and a half. “It’s fun when no one wants to go home,” Nelson said. “It’s our Academy Awards night for honoring costume designers, and we’re thrilled to death.”
—Irene Lacher
Posted 01.31.07
Photos: Berliner Studio/BEImages
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