Shawna Trpcic (‘The Mandalorian’ costume designer) on new planets: ‘I find the challenge of creating something from nothing incredible’ [Exclusive Video Interview]

“I study every day and I read every single book ever published on Star Wars, especially the ones that interviewed George Lucas specifically, where he was talking to his designers,” reveals Shawna Trpcic. “I want his foundational words.” That foundation comes in handy for her work as costume designer on “The Mandalorian.” The Disney+ series asks her to stretch her imagination into the far reaches of the galaxy. The designer picked up an Emmy nomination in the Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes category, thanks to her ability to craft the fashion trends of an entirely new planet. Watch the exclusive video interview above.

Trpcic is Emmy-nominated for the episode “Chapter 22: Guns for Hire,” which takes viewers to the planet of Plazir-15. We get a glimpse of the planet’s high society thanks to flamboyant rulers Captain Bombardier (Jack Black, as a reformed member of the Empire) and The Duchess (Lizzo). “This was sort of tapping into that childlike part of Star Wars that we all loved,” explains the designer of her intended tone. “I wanted to capture the royalty, the regality, and then the suspense.” She considers the setting to have a “Alice in Wonderland” type of quality, which perfectly balances the trauma living under the surface thanks to past wars.

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The lightheartedness of “Wonderland” is immediately apparent in the colorful costumes for Bombardier and The Duchess. They both sport bright blue garments with gold enhancements, and Lizzo boasts touches of an iridescent fabric in her gown. “Having the two of them in New Republic Blue was a good starting point,” explains Trpcic, referencing the new peaceful form of government that took over after the Empire’s defeat. With Bombardier in the New Republic’s amnesty program, it would be important for him to show his devotion towards peace.

But beyond this practical application, the fanciful attire “taps into a lot of subconscious joy,” according to Trpcic. It’s rare to see a society in this era of “Star Wars” lore embrace colorful appearances and Cinderella gowns. But these costume choices signal the opportunity for prosperity in the galaxy now that the big bad Emperor is gone. “It establishes the new world,” says Trpcic, “a new community, a peaceful, joyous one. And a safe one. It’s supposed to be safe.”

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Lizzo’s character also has a regal halo of fabric that follows behind her as she moves from room to room, thanks to a droid helper. The piece was lit by the visual effects team, but Trpcic created the complex element with all practical materials. “We created it out of these translucent silks and organzas, and then we stitched around them on wire and formed these sort of, almost leaf-like fire shapes behind her,” says the costume designer of the lengthy process, “And then my crew beaded them and layered them up.” In order to pull off the effect of a droid moving this flowy halo about, a costuming assistant pushed the fabric behind Lizzo throughout each scene and was digitally erased during post-production. The result is a theatrical statement piece one could only find in a science-fiction realm.

When asked why the science-fiction genre speaks to her, Trpcic reveals that she loves the opportunity to “start from zero” with her designs. Where period pieces have strict costuming rules to abide by, a story set in space is boundaryless. “What I enjoy about ‘Star Wars’…is I have total freedom within that genre. I find the challenge of creating something from nothing incredible,” gushes Trpcic. “I love creating worlds. I love it when we go to a new planet. I love establishing a caste system within the planet: the workers, the government, the bosses. I love creating a believable society on each planet.”

This is Trpcic’s second Emmy nomination for “The Mandalorian.” She has one additional nomination for “The Book of Boba Fett.” The latter series earned her a Costume Designers Guild Award.

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