Starring country legends and real-life couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, 1883 is the prequel to hit show Yellowstone , the Kevin Costner-helmed family drama that has captured middle America. 1883, which also stars actors Sam Elliott and Billy Bob Thornton and features cameos from A-listers such as Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson, tells the origin story of Yellowstone ’s Dutton family, who build an empire in the state of Montana after travelling from Texas through the Great Plains in the late 19th century. The show’s breakout star is 21-year-old Isabel May, who plays Elsa Dutton, the elder daughter of pioneers James and Margaret Dutton. A skilled horse rider with a rebellious streak, Elsa comes of age and experiences a sexual awakening while enjoying the freedom that American pioneers were afforded on their westward journey before settling down. California-born May, who has also starred in shows Young Sheldon and Alexa & Katie , steals the show in every scene of 1883 , not only because of her radiant beauty but also thanks to Elsa’s unforgettable and endearing Southern drawl, which opens and ends each episode with beautifully narrated and poignant voice-overs. Recalling a young Jennifer Lawrence , May is pretty without being too precious and, in character, looks as natural wearing a prairie dress as she does riding a horse in a pair of chaps. In a pivotal moment in the series, she exchanges a piece of jewellery for a pair of denim pants, after complaining to her mother that riding horses in prairie dresses is not ideal. Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter about a blue Victorian dress Elsa wears in an early episode, 1883 costume designer Janie Bryant, said: “Blue is the colour of the sky, and I feel like Elsa has kind of an airy quality about her.” While the constricting petticoats, corsets and ruffled skirts that Elsa wears in 1883 reflect the fashion of the time, more casual outfits such as nightgowns paired with shawls and slip dresses nonchalantly worn with men’s wool jackets wouldn’t look out of place in 2022. Elsa is a tomboy at heart, unafraid to herd cows and even use a gun in a few dramatic scenes, but there’s an innocence and sense of wide-eyed wonder to her. With her golden locks and sun-kissed skin, she never fails to look stunning, even when caked in mud. May has also made strides with her off-screen looks. At the premiere of 1883 in Las Vegas in December 2021, she looked stunning in a blush halter gown with a sequin-embellished neckline. She definitely has a thing for sparkly, embellished dresses – she opted for a sequinned long-sleeved dress with a plunging neckline at the 2020 Venice Film Festival , and she went full glam clad in a strapless beaded gown at an Emmy Primetime event in 2018. Fashion and beauty brands better take note – May is one to watch and you’re likely to see more of her in the future.