PARTY LINES : COLOR THIS FETE FABULOUS.

Byline: Barbara De Witt 

Brooke Shields did the toasting, Anjelica Huston, Carol Burnett and Annette Bening did the roasting, and five costume designers went home with the first annual Costume Designers Guild Awards.

The swanky affair at the Beverly Hills Hotel was the hottest ticket in town, with numerous celebrities who came to pay tribute to the folks who help make them look so glamorous on the screen.

``The soul of a dress is a body,'' said Shields as she raised her champagne flute to the crowd, explaining that the power of a costume designer has been underestimated for years. Before leaving the podium, Shields made sure we knew that the gorgeous deep blue gown she was wearing was by Judith Brewer Curtis, whom, she said, performs minor miracles for her each week on TV's ``Suddenly Susan.''

Anjelica Huston, who deserves an award for being the ``best MC at a rubber chicken dinner,'' looked out at the audience, laughed, and said, ``Usually when I see you, I'm in the nude!''

She joked about designers not having the ego to dress themselves, so they dress actors, but added, ``We've been longing for the opportunity to thank you for the art of costume design for so long.''

Always the comedian, Burnett modeled her sequin-trimmed cocktail suit at the podium and said, ``Yes, Bob Mackie still dresses me.'' But she quipped that she's more likely to favor the Gap and Express for daytime wear.

She talked about the green gown with the curtain rod still in it that he'd designed for her Scarlett O'Hara spoof years ago, describing it as ``the funniest moment in TV Guide history.'' Then she applauded him for creating 50 costumes a week for 11 years, described him as a man who could make a rainbow jealous and presented him with the Rit Color Award, a stunning trophy designed by Bulgari jewelers.

The tearful Mackie, who got a standing ovation, was impressed with the award category, commenting, ``God knows I've used enough color in my life.''

Paul Mazursky received the Distinguished Director's Award, Albert Wolsky the Career Achievement Award, Van Broughton Ramsey the Excellence in Television Award for costumes in ``The Tempest,'' and Judianna Makovsky (who's just got an Oscar nomination) the Excellence in Film Award for the '50s fashion fest ``Pleasantville.''

As we dined on stuffed chicken and chocolate mousse, I got a chance to chat with tablemates Ken Scherer and his wife, Shari Feldman, of Tarzana. Scherer is the CEO of the Motion Picture and Television Fund Foundation in Woodland Hills, and Feldman is an Emmy-nominated designer who was thrilled that costume designers were finally getting recognition. ``Movie management doesn't think costume designers are on the same level as others - including makeup artists, who often make more money than a designer - yet they make everybody look great and set the mood of the film,'' she lamented.

After dinner, everybody wanted to dance to Johnny Crawford's Orchestra, but the ballroom was so packed (event producer Caroline Brown called it a sellout) that there was no room, so we danced in the foyer, where I spotted several Hollywood stars, including Holly Hunter, Lynn Redgrave, Kate Mulgrew and Tony Curtis.

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5 Photos

Photo: (1) Honorees Cuba Gooding Jr., left, and Maury Povich, right, are congratulated by Judit Ungar, national executive director of the Tourette Syndrome Association at the organization's second annual awards dinner Thursday at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

German Silva/Berliner Studio

(2) Doing the party scene at the West Valley Boys and Girls Club gala at Warner Center Marriott Hotel in Woodland Hills are Brad Rosenheim, left, Janice Wright, Gary Thomas and Marilyn Hankins.

Phil McCarten/Daily News

(3) ``God knows I've used enough color in my life,'' quipped L.A. designer Bob Mackie of his Rit Color Award at the first annual Costume Designers Guild Awards at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Lee Salem

(4) Tara Canfield and Stacie Lang of North HollyPwood are among the fashion-forward guests at the Costume Designers Guild gala.

(5) Enjoying the Costume Designers Guild party are Tarzana residents Ken Scherer and his wife, Shari Feldman. Scherer is CEO of the Valley-based Motion Picture and Television Fund Foundation.

Barbara De Witt/Daily News