We have seen in a previous post how Star Wars was trending in 1977 on the pages of Vogue. In more recent years the saga inspired looks in Rodarte and Preen's Autumn/Winter 2014 collections, not to mention the various and more affordable designs launched in collaboration with several High Street retailers. Yet the release of the new film Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (set for release on 18th December) has unleashed pure fashion madness.
While in August CoverGirl, Max Factor and Lucasfilm announced a beauty partnership resulting in a collection of 19 products inspired by the new film, there are currently quite a few branded or designer products inspired by the saga.
Irregular Choice has an entire collection of shoes that looks like the result of an incestuous adventure between an awkward pair of shoes and a set of Star Wars figurines.
You can opt between boots with novelty heels (yes, now MSP Angela Constance, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, has a wider choice after her Bambi shoes faux pas... View this photo) shaped like R2D2 (View this photo), Yoda, Darth Vader and an Imperial Stormtrooper, or a light saber; brogue style shoes with prints of your favourite droids, ballet flats featuring C-3PO (View this photo) or horridly shaped shoes with some garish prints of the rebel characters.
Footwear-wise Nicholas Kirkwood also offers in his limited anniversary collection -comprising 10 styles inspired by his childhood pop culture passions including '80s arcade games and films - the Millennium Butterfly. Inspired by Han Solo's famous spaceship, while they may not look extremely elegant, the shoes display the designer's effort at combining one of his iconic looks with the shape of the Millennium Falcon.
Kirkwood also employed interesting materials mixing metallic kid leather with rubber wings, adding a chromed heel with an acrylic glass marquetry insert and his trademark inverted platform design.
More madness has been officially unleashed with further Star Wars related events and collections. Two days ago Galeries Lafayette in Paris unveiled its Christmas window display with a Star Wars-themed show in partnership with The Walt Disney Company (that acquired Lucasfilm in 2012).
As part of the deal, Galeries Lafayette will open in-shop Disney Stores and smaller corners at its department stores where customers will be able to buy merchandise such as light sabers and costumes, and a capsule collection of clothes designed in collaboration with students at the Institut Français de la Mode fashion school.
The students' take on Star Wars is actually less bland and more desirable than many other designer pieces, with garments in which the famous characters of the sci-fi saga are only hinted at via laser silhouettes or are reinterpreted in a Pop Art key inspired by comics. At least the student understood you don't have to be too literal when you borrow a precise inspiration, but you can revolutionise things a bit.
Starting from December the windows of Lafayette Homme will also be dedicated to The Force Awakens, while art and film fans will be able to enjoy at the department store an exhibition of Stormtrooper helmets customised by French artists.
Matchless London has instead just released its 16-piece Star Wars Capsule Collection featuring leather jackets that could be considered (in some cases) as remixed versions of costumes donned by Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Princess Leia and Rey and Finn, characters from the upcoming film. You can now be the proud owner of a Princess Leia bomber jacket, a Skywalker jacket or a Han Solo parka, but, beware, the price range goes between £400 and £1,500 (mind you, how come no Boba Fett jackets or trousers with multiple pockets? We are disappointed here...).
Like many other people who grew up with the early Star Wars films, I was attracted and intrigued by the futuristic universe they shaped and portrayed (and I also wanted Princess Leia's hairstyle...). That said not all Star Wars fans may want to go down the the designer garment or accessory route, especially when the pieces are extremely expensive or they look slightly too embarrassing (it's hard to think Irregular Choice's Chewbacca boots will be a hit...).
Yes, agreed, fashion is about money, but you genuinely wonder how many Star Wars branded products and events the industry can try and sell to us poor consumers, bearing also in mind that there are anonymous cosplayers out there doing a much more original job and having fun as well getting dressed like their personal heroes.
Besides, all this focus on the characters and their costumes is making us forget about further interesting inspirations from the saga, including the sci-fi architectures featured in the films.
Guess we will have to survive till January to see the mania going down a bit. In the meantime, genuine fans can still get further inspirations from some of the Star Wars saga costumes on view at London's Angels Costumiers exhibition.
For what regards all these fashion capsule collections and Star Wars related events, well, we can just imagine a fashion meeting with Darth Vader choking a fashion designer trying to come up with the umpteenth silly garment or accessory inspired by the film, stating "I find your lack of creativity disturbing" rather than "I find your lack of faith disturbing"...
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