L.A. Feb 2006–The lush hand-painted kimonos from “Memoirs of a Geisha” helped Colleen Atwood earn a top Costume Design Guild honor for the second year in a row.
Atwood, who won last year's award for excellence in film for “Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events,” nabbed the excellence in period film honor Saturday night for “Geisha” at the guild's eighth annual awards gala at the Beverly Hilton.
“I am so thrilled. It's a film that we got to make here in Los Angeles, which was a miracle,” said Atwood, who cited the far-flung contributors that helped create the lavish look for Rob Marshall's “Geisha,” from shoes made in Osaka, Japan, to beads made on an island off the coast of England.
Atwood's win could provide a bellwether for Sunday's 78th Oscar Awards, because she was the guild's only film winner nominated for an Oscar. She won an Oscar three years ago for another Marshall film, “Chicago.”
Also competing for the Oscar this year are “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Mrs. Henderson Presents,” “Pride & Prejudice” and “Walk the Line.”
For the first time, a separate award was presented for excellence in fantasy film, a category that had been combined with period film. Isis Mussenden earned the distinction for “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe.”
Danny Glicker's win for excellence in contemporary film for the gender-bending togs worn in “Transamerica” rounded out the film categories. “I am so blown away. The budget for 'Transamerica' cost less than this award,” Glicker joked, referring to the pricey Bulgari statuette.
