Kerry Washington Applauds the Wisdom Behind an Exceptional TV Costume

Confidence comes from within, but as we learned Tuesday night in Beverly Hills, a little help from a friend doesn't hurt.

Stars like Eva Longoria, Kerry Washington, Gina Rodriguez, and Anna Camp headed to the Beverly Hilton for the 2018 Costume Designer's Guild Awards, where the actors celebrated—you guessed it—the costume designers that make or break the look of the character's you've grown to love them for.

On the red carpet, Longoria, Washington, and Rodriguez shared a very cute moment when they ogled over Longoria's growing baby bump—she's expecting her first child with José Bastón—and even suggested they be considered "aunties" for the new baby. See Washington's gram here:

But it wasn't the red carpet that proved to be particularly meaningful. Inside the ceremony, each of these celebrities took the stage to share speeches in honor of the designers they work with. The takeaway? That there's nothing as empowering as finding a costume designer (and friend) who's able to take your confidence and work as an actor, to the next level.

Rodriguez kicked off the evening by thanking her Jane the Virgin costume designer Rachel Sage Kunin for all she's done. “The canvas is your body. From the first day [Rachel and I] worked together she made me feel confident and beautiful, and in a world that is riddled with body confidence issues, that is priceless," Rodriguez said in her plunging black dress. "To find a designer who is concerned with contributing to your journey as an actor and journey of body acceptance is like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Thank you for accepting and uplifting us daily."

VIDEO: 2018 Grammys Red Carpet Arrivals

Later, Longoria introduced Washington (in Dolce & Gabbana), who was honored with the Lacoste Spotlight Award for her role as Olivia Pope on Scandal. She first joked about being pregnant. “It’s nerve-racking enough deciding what to wear to these things and then when you’re pregnant…oh my God,” Longoria said with a laugh. “My Spanx don’t fit anymore. But there’s pregnancy Spanx, I’ve discovered.”

“I’m so happy to be here,” she continued. “I just want to tell the entire room, when I grow up, I want to be Kerry Washington. But there’s a big problem because she’s just too much. She’s lovely and warm and kind and thoughtful and genuine. She’s the most genuine person that you’ll find in this business. She’s also at the same time one of the most kick-ass women you will ever meet. She’s an actress, a producer, an activist, movies, TV, Broadway, all the way being a devoted wife and mother to two beautiful kids."

Longoria moved on to praise Washington's representation of black women, and called out moments in which the way she dressed for TV helped bring that representation to life. Washington thanked Longoria, and paid tribute to all of the costume designers she’s worked with along the way, specifically Scandal costume designer Lyn Paolo.

“I don’t really know who a character is until I know what shoes she wears, because the shoes tell me how I walk, they tell me how I stand, they tell me who I am,” Washington said. “I have relied on the wisdom and genius of costume designers my entire career, every step along the way. I have been so blessed. To be receiving a spotlight award from you all is really just a testament to the talent of the costume designers that I’ve been privileged to learn from and have been groomed by.”

“You all allow us to be our most vulnerable,” she continued. “It’s with you that we literally undress and discover who we might become. I just thank you, thank you for allowing us to be the artists that we are. Thank you for giving us a safe place to get naked, creatively and emotionally and physically, and explore the possibilities. Thank you for telling the story, thank you for being our partners. Just know that you are appreciated. I know that it doesn’t always feel, in this larger business, like you are held up the way you deserve to be, but know that we are holding you up. We love that, we respect you, that we appreciate you, and we stand by you.”

Scroll down to see the best looks from the 2018 Costume Designers Guild Awards.