The Costume Designers Guild has become, if I’m not mistaken, the first below-the-line guild to reveal its 2013 nominees — and a number of the season’s most ubiquitous titles are once more in the mix. “American Hustle” extends its perfect Guild record thus far with a nomination in the period category for Michael Wikinson’s extravagantly kitsch 70s threads, where it’ll compete against the more muted wardrobe of fellow Best Picture frontrunner “12 Years a Slave.” (Yes, we know the latter wasn’t eligible for the WGA Award and, in effect, has an unblemished guild record too. No need to remind us.)
Also nominated in the period category are “Saving Mr. Banks” and “The Great Gatsby,” for which Catherine Martin may well be the frontrunner. The fifth pick. however, is something of a surprise, as Michael O’Connor’s gorgeously textured 19th-century garb for “The Invisible Woman” was left out in favor of Kurt & Bart’s witty, character-serving Texan casualwear in “Dallas Buyers Club” — a low-key but deserving pick, and one thaty indicates just how popular the AIDS drama is in the industry, this morning’s BAFTA shutout notwithstanding.
I was hoping the same design duo would score in the contemporary category for their sleek, high-style dressing of “Stoker” — my pick for the year’s top achievement in the field — but it was not to be. (For whatever reason, Guilds have a habit of sticking strenuously to the buzz titles, and the eye-popping sartorial spectacles of “Nebraska” and “Philomena” could not go unacknowledged.) Still, I’m thrilled they nominated the clever everyday futurism of Casey Storm’s designs for “Her,” as well as “Blue Jasmine,” an exemplary study in costume economy, reusing and weathering individual items of clothing to mark a character arc.
The fantasy category was limited to three nominees this year, with former Guild winner Trish Summerville’s extravagant creations for “The Hunger Games” seemingly likeliest to triumph.
The awards will be presented on February 22.
EXCELLENCE IN CONTEMPORARY FILM
“Blue Jasmine,” Suzy Benzinger
“Her,” Casey Storm
“Nebraska,” Wendy Chuck
“Philomena,” Consolata Boyle
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” Sarah Edwards
EXCELLENCE IN PERIOD FILM
“12 Years a Slave,” Patricia Norris
“American Hustle,” Michael Wilkinson
“Dallas Buyers Club,” Kurt & Bart
“The Great Gatsby,” Catherine Martin
“Saving Mr. Banks,” Daniel Orlandi
EXCELLENCE IN FANTASY FILM
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” Ann Maskrey, Richard Taylor, Bob Buck
“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” Trish Summerville
“Oz the Great and Powerful,” Gary Jones, Michael Kutsche
OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY TELEVISION SERIES
“Breaking Bad,” Jennifer Bryan
“House of Cards,” Tom Broecker
“Nashville,” Susie DeSanto
“Scandal,” Lyn Paolo
“Saturday Night Live,” Tom Broecker, Eric Justian
OUTSTANDING PERIOD/FANTASY TELEVISION SERIES
“Boardwalk Empire,” John Dunn, Lisa Padovani
“The Borgias,” Gabriella Pescucci
“Downton Abbey,” Caroline McCall
“Game of Thrones,” Michele Clapton
“Mad Men,” Janie Bryant
OUTSTANDING MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINI SERIES
“American Horror Story: Coven,” Lou Eyrich
“Behind the Candelabra,” Ellen Mirojnick
“Bonnie & Clyde,” Marilyn Vance
“House of Versace,” Claire Nadon
“Phil Spector,” Debra McGuire
EXCELLENCE IN COMMERCIAL COSTUME DESIGN
Call of Duty: “Ghosts Masked Warriors,” Nancy Steiner
Dos Equis: “Most Interesting Man in the World Feeds a Bear,” Julie Vogel
Fiat “British Invasion,” Donna Zakowska