Experience the golden age of Hollywood in Lancaster at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio’s summer exhibition Distinctly Paramount: Fashion and Costume.
The show is curated by Randall Thropp, a costume and prop archivist for Paramount Pictures. Thropp has brought three other exhibitions to his hometown of Lancaster: two Edith Head shows and more recently Creating the Illusion: Costumes and Characters from the Paramount Pictures Archive in 2018.
Distinctly Paramount, however, illustrates the symbiotic relationship between Hollywood and American fashion.
“The exhibition is really a marriage of fashion and costume,” says Thropp in an interview with DACO. “We see fashion as costume and we showcase some really nice designers, and some that people would not normally see.”
Paramount Pictures has been an influencer of both fashion and film for more than 100 years. Think Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Godfather, Star Trek, Sunset Boulevard, Titanic and The Wolf of Wall Street, just to name a few.
The exhibit features studio-created costumes and purchased fashion designs from the Paramount archives that were used in movies from the 1920s to 2020, including garments from notable designers such as Valentino, Roberto Cavalli and Alexander McQueen.
Visitors can also view a pop-up exhibit of costumes and mood boards from the film Rocketman, which opened May 5 as a teaser to the larger exhibit. The pop-up showcases the key role costume designers play in creating a film’s character and feel and ensuring historical accuracy.
Thropp hopes this one-of-a-kind exhibit of rare and never before seen pieces will draw visitors from around the country to to experience Hollywood glamour in Columbus.
Distinctly Paramount: Fashion and Costume opened June 5 and will run until Jan. 2, 2022. Admission is free. Face masks are encouraged for the safety of visitors, volunteers and staff.
Ellie Roberto is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
