Costume Designers Guild Nominations: "Top Gun" soars, "The Fabelmans" flounder
Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 9:00PM
Cláudio Alves in Babylon, Beauty and the Beast, Best Costume Design, Black Panther Wakanda Forever, CDG, Costume Design, Glass Onion, House of the Dragon, Oscar Punditry, Oscars (22), The Gilded Age, Wednesday

by Cláudio Alves

Worry not, "Fabelmans" fans. Mark Bridges may still get an Oscar nomination.

For the past two years, all the Oscar nominees in Best Costume Design were also recognized by the Costume Designers Guild, but that's not always the case. Indeed, in 2019, they didn't nominate three of the eventual Oscar nominees, including the winner – Jacqueline Durran for Little Women. All this to say that you should take this year's nominees with a grain of salt in terms of Oscar, especially regarding two big omissions – Mark Bridges for The Fabelmans and Sandy Powell for Living. Both designers have secured Oscar nominations with no corresponding guild support in the past – he for Joker, she for Gangs of New York, Mrs. Henderson Presents, and The Irishman. In any case, their lack of recognition proves that the industry may not be as into their films as previously anticipated. We shall see.

After the jump, the complete list of nominees and some further comments… 

"Babylon" | © Paramount Pictures

EXCELLENCE IN PERIOD FILM

Funnily enough, the inclusion of Don't Worry Darling isn't especially surprising if you consider the guild's history. Arianne Phillips is one of their favorite designers, with eight nominations to her name. The group features no first-timers, though this is only Martin's second nod. If she wins, this will be her first CDG trophy despite having already amassed two Best Costume Design Academy Awards. Because of that, I feel reticent in predicting her for a guild victory, though Elvis is still my pick for Oscar frontrunner in this category. I think this is Zophres' to lose at the CDGs, having already won here with Chazelle's La La Land. In the alternative, Beavan might become a four-time winner thanks to Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris.

 

"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" | © Disney

EXCELLENCE IN SCI-FI/FANTASY FILM

Some guilds categorize Hocus Pocus 2 as a TV film, while others put it on the cinema side of things. I tend to agree with CDG, even if I can't entirely defend their will to honor it with a nomination. Regardless Ruth E Carter has this one sewn up in my book, while Kurata may have an outsider's chance, thanks to EEAAO's overall popularity. For those surprised at Avatar's presence, remember that the original film also scored a nod from the guild, virtual costumes and all.

 

"Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" | © NetflixEXCELLENCE IN CONTEMPORARY FILM

That Top Gun nomination is indefensible, mainly serving to underline the picture's immense popularity within the industry. The rest of the lineup is fantastic, however. Any of them would make for a great addition to the eventual Oscar roster if that branch ever gets over its allergy to contemporary designs. I'm betting Glass Onion takes this one since it's the showiest.

 

"The Gilded Age" | © HBOEXCELLENCE IN PERIOD TELEVISION

Despite a shocking Emmy snub, The Gilded Age gets a nomination here and may even win. The Crown and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel are previous winners in this same category, while Bridgerton is a returning nominee. Overall, it's a good batch of contenders, even if I'll never feel particularly drawn to the Regency fantasy of Netflix's hit show.

 

"House of the Dragon" | © HBOEXCELLENCE IN SCI-FI/FANTASY TELEVISION 

I'm rooting for The Rings of Power while predicting House of the Dragon. I have some serious issues with the HBO show's wardrobe, both in terms of design and execution, finding it often betrays the aesthetic and cultural through lines established in Game of Thrones. Still, it seems bound to be a hit with the guilds, since they also loved to shower the original series with gold.

 

"Wednesday" | © NetflixEXCELLENCE IN CONTEMPORARY TELEVISION

Hacks won the Emmy with this same episode, but I doubt it can repeat that feat here. There's a myriad of reasons for that, spanning from this guild's vexing affection for Emily in Paris to the presence of costume design living legend Colleen Atwood amid the nominees. In 2006, she won a Career Achievement Award, with seven other CDG prizes under her belt. Shouldn’t Wednesday be categorized as fantasy, though?

 

"Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration" | © ABCEXCELLENCE IN VARIETY, REALITY COMPETITION, LIVE TELEVISION

This is only the category's fifth year, with Saturday Night Live being one of its previous winners. Technically, the RuPaul industrial complex won once, but that was for the flagship show and Zaldy's designs. Despite multiple nominations over the years, Dancing with the Stars has yet to win, making it stand out as the due contender of the race. Even so, Lizzo's hit and the Beauty and the Beast concert have the advantage.

 

"Spitting Off the Edge of the World" | © MOOJ Productions

EXCELLENCE IN SHORT-FORM DESIGN

It'd be fun if Black Panther could win two awards from this guild, but this cross-promotional synergy doesn't always work out. Last year, a Cruella promo was in contention but lost, while Beavan won the main prize on her way to another Oscar.

 

What are your best bets for the Best Costume Design Oscar? Did these CDG nominations alter your predictions?

Article originally appeared on The Film Experience (http://thefilmexperience.net/).
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