"EVERY SAGA HAS A BEGINNING..."

Wednesday 20 May 2020

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: COSTUMED EPIC!

An early over jacket design for Luke in his X-wing fighter garb on Hoth. All art by John Mollo.

Thrilled with the unexpected success of Star Wars, and even more thrilled to receive an esteemed Academy Award for his work on the film, British Costume Designer John Mollo was back to work the day after his win (3rd April, 1978) to work on The Empire Strikes Back, revising and improving certain old characters and fractional costumes, and, more importantly, creating lots of new wardrobe items large and small for the scenes set on the ice planet Hoth and the 'Art Deco' styled Cloud City at Bespin.

Mollo with Natalie Wood and Darth Vader (Kermit Eller) at the 1978 Academy Awards event.

Mollo would be working alongside new director Irvin Kershner, whom he ultimately didn't have quite as strong a relationship with in comparison to George Lucas back in 1976, allegedly with some new work often frustratingly being altered many times by Kershner in the pre and production phases of the sequel.

Early Rebel soldier and snowtrooper concepts.


Imperial Snowtrooper design.

The Rebels: Luke, Han, fighter pilot and snow trooper.

Leia, Rebel Command Crew and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Empire: Darth Vader, Imperial Trooper, TIE fighter pilot.

The Empire: General Veers in AT-AT outfit, Imperial technician and officer.

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