05/04/2014

The Fashion Icons of Star Wars

Demna Gvasalia’s Jedi inspired line

Star Wars is a franchise whose licensing and merchandising knows no bounds. But while you or someone you know cosplays or owns a Star Wars t-shirt, mug, underwear… we’re going to take a closer look at how the costumes and iconic character designs of yesterday left an impression on the designers of today. This is how a legacy inspired creativity and manifested itself on the runway (And sometimes from less predictable places)

“Harrison Ford wears the same outfit for three flicks, and I was complaining that I wear, like, six outfits. And my mother – Natalie Portman – she wears three million. She walks through a doorway and there’s another outfit. It’s like the Liberace of sci-fi changing of clothes.”

-Carrie Fischer

(commentary to Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Special Edition (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2005).)

PADME AMIDALA

Actual YSL campaign image for a Padme inspired make-up line

Being of generation x, Episode 1 was the first Star Wars film I’d seen in theaters. I was instantly hooked because OMG PADME’S OUTFITS!!! Oh yeah, and she was a smart young woman in a position of power. But also, a wardrobe worthy of it’s own museum exhibition.

PRINCESS LEIA

Who doesn’t want to be a princess? Better still, who doesn’t want to be a gun wielding bad-ass princess that gets to show off her sweet and sexy side? Damsel in distress this isn’t.

Carolina Herrera

Alexander McQueen

DARTH VADER

What is it about the dark side that’s so alluring? Are we drawn to the initial mystery of the man behind the kabuto inspired helmet? Or the easy to copy head-to-toe black that is the uniform of the average New Yorker?

Rick Owens

Thom Browne x Moncler Gamme Blu (note the Storm Trooper inspired fencers in back) , Balenciaga, Preen, Cres. E Dim

LUKE SKYWALKER

See? Fashion found him far more interesting when he too embraced black.

Rick Owens, Les Hommes

Les Hommes

and while we’re here….

DARTH MAUL

Viktor & Rolf, Gareth Pugh

Some other surprise muses….

C3P0

This droid owes much of it’s signature look to Maria, from Metropolis. And while she has long influenced her fair share of designers and artists, there’s no disputing 3P0’s presence on the runway .