On the left, Julianna Margulies (right) with Andrea Miller (center); on the right, Nora Jones and Mandy Lyons. Photo credit: Ben Hider.
NYWIFT’s Designing Women Awards last Thursday, May 23, sponsored by People magazine, was a terrific event. It was a pleasure to see so many talented women — including Deborah Scott (costume designer, Avatar), Mandy Lyons (hairstylist, Moonrise Kingdom), and Andrea Miller (makeup artist, The Good Wife) — recognized for their work in film and TV.
The Variety Ensemble Award went to the entire hair, makeup, and costume team of The Americans for recreating the early-1980s looks necessary for hit drama’s spy characters. I had no idea how big a team is needed to make a period show look authentic.
Honorees with NYWIFT Board President Alexis Alexanian (center). Photo credit: Ben Hider.
The packed house also got the pleasure of hearing stories illustrating why these women were being honored. Presenters Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife), Grammy-winning singer Norah Jones, and Jon Landau (producer, Avatar) all spoke with affection about the winners while detailing their accomplishments.
The Americans producer Joseph Weisberg delved into how his team creates the world of espionage. And he knows what he was talking about — Weisberg once worked for the CIA.
To top it off, I’ve been enjoying the event’s ADJ gift bag, filled with items from some of NYWIFT’s many friends — delicious goodies and sweet deals from Rainforest Alliance, Guylian, Slide restaurant, Clinique, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, Hanes, Sony Music, Streeter Tech, and Gotham Writers’ Workshop.
Perhaps the biggest gift I received is being part of an organization like NYWIFT that’s dedicated to supporting women who call the shots! — MIMI SPILLANE
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Eunice Levis
Welcome to NYWIFT, Eunice Levis! Writer and director Eunice Levis is a first-generation Dominican American from the Bronx, New York. Eunice's work focuses on genre-bending stories that combine her love of horror, sci-fi, thriller, and fantasy, often through a diasporic lens. She seeks to disrupt and challenge dominant narratives around technology, race, gender, history, and diaspora identity by altering the stories we tell about them. Eunice spoke to us about her early inspirations, her latest work, and how genre stories offer a unique opportunity to challenge the status quo.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Amanda DiMartino
Let’s give a warm welcome to new NYWIFT member Amanda DiMartino! Amanda is a director, producer, and editor committed to audience engagement. Some of her career highlights include collaborations with brands such as Harper’s Bazaar, Peloton, NBCUniversal, SYFY, Complex, KIDZ BOP, The Berlin Film Festival, Standard and Poor’s, and The Hollywood Reporter. Altogether, the 500-plus videos she has worked on have garnered more than one billion clicks and views while generating more than $1 million in revenue. She spoke to us about working with Bad Bunny and Usher, and why exploration is key to success!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Mohana Rajakumar
Welcome to NYWIFT, Mohana Rajakumar! Mohana is a South Asian American scholar, novelist, screenwriter, and stand-up comic whose work regularly explores feminist themes. Some of her most notable literary accomplishments include winning the She Writes New Novelist Award in 2011 for her coming-of-age novel An Unlikely Goddess and the Best Indie Book Award for Romance in 2013 for Love Comes Later. She co-wrote and appeared in the short film Me Against the World, directed by Kali Bailey, which appeared in NYWIFT’s “Women in Film Night” at the 2022 Montauk Film Festival. Mohana has resided in Qatar since 2005. She spoke to us about working across various art forms, her writing process, and the special honor that comes with writing a banned book!
READ MOREMy First Ever Sundance Experience!
"My first time covering the Sundance Film Festival in-person was everything I expected it to be. Fun, intense, inspirational, exhausting, and such an honor. Overall, the experience lived up to indeed be the experience of a lifetime. A journalist’s dream, especially mine." Tammy Reese shares her favorite star-studded moments from her trip to Park City for Sundance 2023!
READ MORE