Stories about time travel have fascinated me ever since I saw the romantic film, Somewhere in Time, as a child.

More recently, I began to see visual promotions on the STARZ TV show, Outlander, plastered all over town. A friend insisted that I check out the show not just because she found the time traveling storyline and the intense romantic relationships between the main characters exciting, but because the writing perfectly intertwines true historical events not commonly covered in American history classes with that of beautifully crafted historical fiction.

The show is also an ideal transport into the romantic world of fantasy wherein the female main character ultimately perseveres in getting what she thinks she wants, despite adversarial situations filled with conflict and despair, and then realizing that she now desires the “something else” that was involuntarily thrusted upon her in the first place. We can all relate to that at some level, right? Minus the time travel part, of course.

Perfect timing then that The Artistry of ‘Outlander’: An Exhibit of Costumes and Set Design exhibition recently presented itself at the Paley Center of Media in Beverly Hills. 18th century costumes designed by Emmy-winning costume designer, Terry Dresbach, actual set pieces from Outlander production designer Jon Gary Steele, life-size set photography from the show, and behind-the-scenes video segments are on display at the Paley between June 8, 2016 to August 14, 2016.

Here I am having fun with this life-size photo cut out from one of episodic scenes of Season 2. Being Claire in Paris was fun, even for a short moment.

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Jamie: “Are you… mad, woman?” … “Surely you don’t mean to go out in public like this?”

Claire: “I most certainly do. I’ll have you know I helped design this dress.”

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Ok, here is the actual dress worn by actress Caitriona Balfe, along with the costume worn by Sam Heughan, the actor who portrays James “Jamie” MacKenzie Fraser.

Beautiful.

Here’s a closeup of the beautiful details that really makes this red dress perfect:

The attention to the details Terry Dresbach placed on each costume is what makes this exhibition a mesmerizing treat.

Episodic set models, both physical and computer generated, from Outlander production designer Jon Gary Steele were equally impressive.

I enjoyed viewing this exhibition on a weekday with my friend because we were able to admire all the costumes more closely and with much appreciation for the short yet detailed information that accompanied each piece of art. Check it out when you can before the exhibition closes after August 14th.

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The Paley Center for Media
465 North Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
http://www.paleycenter.org/the-artistry-of-outlander
Free Admission (suggested donation $10) and Open to the Public
Hours: Wednesday – Sunday 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

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