CLOTHES MAKE THE MOVIE COSTUMES FROM OSCAR-NOMINATED FILMS SHOW THE FIT BEHIND THE FICTION.

Byline: Jennifer Cho Salaff Staff Writer

Whether it's Achilles' metal-plated armor, Ray Charles' silk tuxedo or Spider-Man's skin-tight Spidey suit, costumes are a key element in creating Hollywood's movie magic. They not only transform the actor, they transport the audience.

A new exhibition at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles salutes the creativity of the costume designer, that talented breed of artist who spends countless hours behind the scenes - sketching, sewing and fitting.

The 13th annual ``Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition'' features more than 100 costumes from 26 of 2004's biggest movies, including ``The Chronicles of Riddick,'' ``Van Helsing'' and ``Hellboy.'' The collection also includes wardrobe from all five films nominated for the best costume design Oscar.

``The ingenuity of this year's costumes is amazing,'' FIDM museum director Robert Nelson said. ``From the coloration to the quality of fabrics - the workmanship is incredible.''

One phrase that reflects this year's collection is ``painstaking detail,'' from ball gowns inlaid with Swarovski crystals (``Phantom of the Opera'') to ethnic fabrics and ornate jewelry (``Troy'') to intricate garments one-third the normal size (``Team America: World Police'').

When veteran costume designer Colleen Atwood began work on ``Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events,'' she realized creating the wardrobe for Jim Carrey's Count Olaf character was like making a dance costume.

``It was like designing for a moving target,'' she said. ``Jim uses his body a lot. The costumes had to move with him. He's like a rubber man.''

So Atwood used fabrics that stretched like skin and reinforced Carrey's many coats, pants and jackets so they wouldn't tear or split during filming.

Some of Atwood's displayed works include Count Olaf's black pinstriped coat and pants, the Victorian-style dress worn by Aunt Josephine (Meryl Streep) and baby Sunny's beautiful puffy-sleeved, gray and pastel-pink dress.

``Lemony Snicket'' is Atwood's fifth nomination for best costume design. She won the Oscar for her work on ``Chicago.'' Other films on her resume include ``Big Fish,'' ``Sleepy Hollow,'' ``Gattaca'' and ``Mars Attacks!''

To capture the mood and aura of Ray Charles circa 1950s and '60s, ``Ray'' costume designer Sharen Davis spent many days researching, poring through old photographs of that period. She even had a rare opportunity to go through Ray Charles' bedroom closet shortly before he died.

``I got to see all of Ray's clothes in this huge, rotating closet - it was as big as a bedroom,'' Davis said. ``And everything was coded in Braille so he would always be able to dress himself.''

Director Taylor Hackford and Davis, whose film credits include ``Antwone Fisher,'' ``Nutty Professor II: The Klumps'' and ``Devil in a Blue Dress,'' felt it was important that the film be vibrant, with rich colors and textures to emphasize the passionate, sensual nature of Charles' music. She used the original silhouettes of his backup singers, the Raelettes, and enhanced the colors and the fabrics to make them pop.

The costumes on display include a red silk halter dress and caramel-colored ``bubble dress,'' inspired by the ones worn by the Raelettes, and a gray silk shantung tuxedo worn by actor Jamie Foxx, who did more than 100 costume changes during the production in which he portrays the late singer.

``You have to make people believe that was Ray,'' Davis said about the importance of good costume design. ``You don't want the audience to (get distracted) and think, 'Wow, that's a nice suit.' ''

Davis' biggest compliment came from Charles' family, who personally thanked her after a screening of the movie.

``They came up to me and told me that Jamie (Foxx) looked exactly like Ray,'' Davis said. ``That was worth more than any award.''

ART OF MOTION PICTURE COSTUME DESIGN EXHIBITION

Where: The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Museum & Galleries, 919 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

When: Museum hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Closed Sundays. Exhibition open through April 23.

Tickets: Free. [phone], Ext. 2224; www.fidm.com/Features/gallery/hollywood-2005/index.html.

In a nutshell: More than 100 costumes from 26 films, including ``The Aviator,'' ``Ray,'' ``Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera'' and ``Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.''

CAPTION(S):

5 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) ``Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera''

(2 -- color) ``Troy''

(3 -- color) ``The Aviator''

(4 -- color) ``Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events''

(5 -- color) ``House of Flying Daggers''