Costume-palooza at Beverly Center
ARTIST/MUSE: Artist Gary Baseman with model wearing Wendy Benbrook’s designs inspired by his art.
For some, style inspirations begin with Audrey Hepburn. For Los Angeles magazine Style Director Laurie Pike, it was Jan Brady and Lovey Howell. She told her dirty secret to a crowd of members of Costume Designers Guild May 14 at the Terrace, the open-air patio on the eighth floor of the Beverly Center.
Pike’s comments got some big laughs, but they were appropriate, too. The cocktail party for the Costume Designers Guild celebrated some of the looks of cable programs with hipster cachet such as “Mad Men,” “Entourage” and “The Tudors.” Displayed on mannequins at the party were fashions that looked like they belonged on the show. Beverly Center tenants Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s were responsible for putting together the looks from fashions on their sales floors.
Costume Guild President Mary Rose said the notion of a store putting together a TV show’s look is not so far-fetched. TV producers typically have retailers on retainer for studio service, or where TV productions can rent store fashions for filming.
The art of costuming does not only have to be for Hollywood. Emmy award-winning costume designer Wendy Benbrook collaborated with artist Gary Baseman to make costumes inspired by his paintings. The Baseman costumes debuted along with his paintings May 2 at La Noche de la Fusión at the Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City.
COSTUME QUEENS: Mary Rose, president of Costume Designers Guild, right. Laurie Pike, style director of Los Angeles magazine
ART TO WEAR: Wendy Benbrook’s designs inspired by Gary Baseman’s art
