Designing attire for Star Wars: The Force Awakens surely wasn't an easy task, but Michael Kaplan met the challenge by creating costumes for the characters that still feel true to the original Star Wars movies.
Though many of Kaplan's new looks pay clear homage to previous films, you may notice that the stormtrooper armor looks familiar for an entirely different reason.
If you can't exactly figure out why — think Apple. The company's design aesthetic played a small part in how the new stormtrooper uniforms came into existence (including the outfit reportedly worn by Daniel Craig in the film).
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Kaplan discussed the wardrobe he designed for the upcoming film.
"With the stormtroopers, it was more of a simplification, almost like, 'What would Apple do?'" said Kaplan. "J.J. wanted them to look like stormtroopers at a glance, but also be different enough to kind of wow people and get them excited about the new design."
That's not to say that the costumes in the film didn't have other influences. As in the original films, much of what we see from the Empire also drew inspiration from the Third Reich and the Nazis, particularly with the muted color schemes. With the Empire, you'll notice that things are utilitarian, "slick back and very hard-lined."
But what was it like, taking iconic characters like Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, and giving them a new wardrobe? Kaplan acknowledged that it was important to consider the past iterations of the characters when designing their newest outfits.
"I wouldn't really be doing my job if I thought, 'Hey, let's redesign this character totally and put them in colors they've never worn,'" he said. "It just wouldn't make any sense. But you also want new, interesting things to look at. You want enough change to be there."
Kaplan began his career as a costume designer for The Sonny and Cher Show, and started his work in film by designing the costumes for Blade Runner. He's also responsible for costumes in Flashdance, Se7en, Fight Club, Armageddon, I Am Legend and both J.J. Abrams-helmed Star Trek films.
Kaplan told Vanity Fair that his experience on Blade Runner and what he learned from Ridley Scott helped him while working on The Force Awakens. Not only did Scott teach him about re-using objects and making new things out of them, he also taught him how to use thrift shop items in his design work.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens arrives in theaters worldwide on December 18.
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