With a series likeAndor, its showrunnerTony Gilroyhas very carefully constructed a visual language with collaborators like production designerLuke Hulland costume designerMichael Wilkinson. While many viewers may not consciously recognize the impact that visuals have on a series with the depth and expansiveness ofAndor, everything has its place and purpose for conveying meaning and propelling the story forward. During an interview with Collider’s ownMaggie Lovitt, Wilkinson spoke about how excited he was to explore the language ofStar Warscostuming, which was first established all the way back in 1977, and explained why Gilroy’s vision for the series meant they couldn’t pull from the warehouse when it came to outfiting background performers.
Before the launch ofAndor, there were three live-actionStar Warsseries, eleven movies, and three specials—each of which had their own very distinct looks and styles. Naturally, with Gilroy having a very clear vision of how he wanted his corner of the galaxy far, far away to look, it wasn’t going to necessarily mesh with what previous creators had brought to the franchise. WhileStar Warshas never truly been known for utilizing bright colors or flashy materials,Andorstill has a very different look and feel to it. Wilkinson has utilized a lot of very specific palettes and textures to ensure that audiences were being met with visuals that revealed distinct locations across the galaxy. He explained, “When you cut from Ferrix to Aldhani, from Coruscant to Narkina 5, they’re all really carefully curated pallets of textures and colors and things so that the information will be really clear for the audience.”
Because of these very distinct palettes and fabrics, Wilkinson wasn’t able to pull from the costumes from previous entries into the franchise. He shared:
“When you sign on as a costume designer, there is a back catalog of costumes from previous productions that are available to be viewed and to be inspired by. It was a challenge because we wanted to show Tony’s vision for this series [which] was very specific. He didn’t want it to feel like a space opera, over the top, very bold design choices. He wanted to be very subtle in nuances and a more detailed, authentic approach to the story of the costumes. So a lot of the costumes that were available as background costumes weren’t exactly right for our field.”
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If you have ever worked in costuming or spent any time-consuming behind-the-scenes featurettes or specials, you will know that the costume designer isn’t the only one working tirelessly to craft the gorgeous costuming that is worn (and sometimes seldom seen) by the background performers. Wilkinson spoke a little about the process and shared just how expansive the building process was forAndor, saying, “We made lots of prototypes. We had hundreds and hundreds of costumes made in lots of, I think [there were] about five different workrooms, both here in the UK and in Europe. So we created our own stock for all of the different planets. But it was fun, as I say, to have the inspiration and the starting point of a language of costuming that was available to us from the previous productions.”
He went on to give an even deeper look into the impressive level of detailing that all of these costumes were given, saying:
“A lot of the background costumes were made in different workrooms around the UK and Europe. Then even the stuff that was made outside was brought back to the studio. Everything goes through a very elaborate process of aging and distressing. Nothing is worn just like straight off the workroom floor. It’s all given interesting patinas and age. So it really has a lovely, authentic, worn quality to it.”
During our interview with Wilkinson, he shared that he will be returning for the second season, which was greenlit before Season 1 even premiered on Disney+. Things are starting to ramp up, with Gilroy sharing with Colliderthat filming begins on November 21. Gilroy also confirmed thatAriel Kleiman,Janus Metz, andAlonso Ruizpalacioswould be joining to direct, and revealed that his brotherDan GilroyandBeau Willimonwill be returning to write Season 2, along with newcomerTom Bissell.
In addition to Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), the series has already reintroduced audiences to Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), and Melshi (Duncan Pow) who played a part in the events ofRogue One. While it seems likeStellan Skarsgårdwill likely return for Season 2, the fates ofAdria Arjona,Fiona Shaw,KyleSoller,Denise Gough,Elizabeth Dulau,Faye Marsay, andVarada Sethuare not yet known.
Stay tuned for our full interview with Wilkinson later this week. In the meantime, check out our interview with the Andy Serkis below:
