When I began working on the military uniforms (Rebels and New Order) I did want to make a clear distinction between the 2 forces. I saw that my job was to revisit that world (albeit 30 years later), not to fix it, make it better or reinvent it. It’s the same world, we just haven’t been there in a while. MK: “Episode VII follows THE RETURN OF THE JEDI. T/S: I am fascinated by how you went about updating elements, but staying true to the source material. Can you talk to us about how you found that balance with the Rebels and the New Order? Rey’s color palette just seemed appropriate for her environment.” If noticed, this touch gives information about the character’s ingenuity if not, they still look good. At close inspection it becomes evident that the goggles are home crafted and the lenses are old Stormtrooper eyes she must have scavenged from spaceship wreckage. Rey wears a pair of goggles to protect her eyes from the intense sun and dust kicked up while riding the speeder. This tunic can be worn on chilly desert nights. Her head wrap keeps her hair out of her face while working, and keeps the dust out of her hair- it’s actually a tunic, with the sleeves tied around her head.
For example, the gauze fabric she wears crossed on her body can be wrapped around her face in sand storms. Costume Design by Michael Kaplan ©Lucasfilm 2015 Photo Credit: GameZoneĮvery garment she wears has a reason or purpose nothing is superfluous. By taking all of these ‘clues’ I was able to build a believable character from the inside out. I knew her life as a scavenger required a certain agility. I knew that Rey lived and worked in an oppressively hot and dusty desert climate.
Of course I had already read the script, which is always my initial road map in discovering a character. and this enables me to deal with the character totally objectively. I like when this happens, in that I am not influenced by body type, familiarity with the actor’s previous work, etc. Michael Kaplan: “When I began designing Rey’s costume (the first costume I decided to tackle) no actress had yet been cast. Tyranny of Style: Can you talk to us about the inspiration and thought process that went into designing Rey? Costume Design by Michael Kaplan ©Lucasfilm 2015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Costume Design by Michael Kaplan ©Lucasfilm 2015 It is no wonder that he was trusted with designing the costumes for one of the most anticipated films of the decade, and the responsibility of shaping one of the most famous franchises in film history! Michael shares with us some exciting insight into his process on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and some great details about textiles and technology. He also almost single-handedly set the 1980s off-the-shoulder-sweater trend with his costume design for Flashdance. He is an incredibly versatile designer, having designed such iconic sci-fi films as Blade Runner, for which he won a BAFTA, as well as Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, but also masters the historic and modern beautifully with such credits as Pearl Harbor, Clue, Fight Club, Mr. Michael Kaplan is one of the top costume designers working in film today.