Costume Designers Guild Awards: Jacqueline Durran Wins for 'Anna Karenina,' Now Oscar Costume Front-runner

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At the Beverly Hilton on Tuesday night, Joel McHale hosted the 15th annual Costume Designers Guild Awards with his usual aplomb. And he opened the evening with his trademark good-natured snark, including a poke at presenter Russell Crowe, who would later bestow the Lacoste Spotlight Award to his Les Miserables co-star Anne Hathaway.

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“Russell, I didn’t see Les Mis," said McHale. "But from what I’ve seen, you did an amazing job as Captain Crunch."

Lily Collins, Kristen Wigg and Jon Hamm were among the boldfacers who came in support of costume design's biggest night. With the likes of Shirley MacLaine, Connie Britton and Revenge actress and fashion blogger Ashley Madekwe presenting honors to a distinguished group of costume world rock stars, which this year included Downton Abbey's Caroline McCall and Skyfall's Jany Temime.

"It's an interesting time where fashion and Hollywood and costumes are all integrating," said Management 360 partner and Hathaway rep Suzan Bymel. Her words come on the eve of a just-announced deal with British cobbler Nicholas Kirkwood, who has teamed up with Selfridges on a footwear collection themed to Disney's Oz The Great and Powerful, which hits theaters March 8. And that's just the tip of the set-to-street iceberg.

The heft-filled festivities also included a nostalgic nod to Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock producer Lorne Michaels, with Amy Poehler, Steve Martin and a baby bump-toting Maya Rudolph presenting his Distinguished Collaborator award, celebrating an extensive tenure with designer Tom Broecker.

Other winners included the late Eiko Ishioka, who was bestowed an Excellence in Fantasy Film Award for Mirror Mirror. The legendary Japanese costume designer is also nominated for a posthumous Oscar for her work on the film. And Jacqueline Durran, the three-time Oscar nominee who took home an Excellence in Period Film trophy for her 1950s-influenced Balenciaga-esque outfits for Anna Karenina. Many in the fashion world think Durran is a front-runner for Sunday's best costume design prize, too.

The final award of the evening was the Lacoste Spotlight that went to Hathaway, who has cemented herself as a sophisticated stylemaker both on- and offscreen.

"Anne has style, beauty and she certainly knows how to wear clothes," Crowe said of his co-star.

Hathaway, who accepted the honor in a mirrored Gucci shift, Julieri studs and bracelets by Chicago-based designer Dana Rebecca, showed the room that serious style can certainly have its lighthearted moments, too.

"I want to say a memorial for all the disco balls who died for this dress," she mused. I miss them."  

Catch the full list of last night's winners here.