Let’s say you were the sort of person who wanted to cosplay a character from your favorite television series. How would you break down the elements that make that character’s look visually distinctive? How would anybody know who you were dressed up as? If the costume designer of the show has done their job, there are likely to be signature elements—be they bold or more subtle—that instantly clue us in.
That type of distinctive, recognizable design is celebrated in the FIDM Museum’s Art of Television Costume Design exhibition, which features a collection of outfits worn on the small screen since the last year's exhibition—this year is the 10th annual edition of the show. When it opens next week, visitors will be able to see garb from shows like Downton Abbey, Empire, Transparent, American Horror Story: Hotel and other favorites.
While it’s easy to see what makes a Game of Thrones costume intriguing to look at, there’s also a lot to enjoy in the details of outfits from programs like The Mindy Project, where the show’s costumers are tasked with expressing personality within the confines of ‘normal’ clothing of our present day. It's also just a great opportunity to fan girl over your favorite shows.
The 2016 Art of Television Costume Design exhibition runs Aug 2 to Oct 15 at the FIDM Museum located at 919 South Grand Avenue. The museum is open 10am to 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday, though closed September 2 to 5. Admission is free and open to the public.