This is a peacock and brown gown worn by Padmé Amidala in Episode III, and it's just intricate and just beautiful and gorgeous. And the reason it's called peacock and brown is 'cause with the light, the fabric shifts from this peacock teal to brown. [...] But in the end, you might not recognize it 'cause it was cut from the film.
Senator Amidala's peacock and brown gown was created for Natalie Portman to wear as Padmé Amidala Naberrie in Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith in a scene that was ultimately cut from the film. The costume has three major parts:
- Headdress with tight hair ringlets on the sides and beaded snood at the back
- Embroidered cape/overcoat
- Pleated dress
Costume overview[]
The peacock and brown gown, aka the "peacock dress", was conceptualized by artist Sang Jun Lee. Trisha Biggar and her costume department crafted the costume.[5]
Here's a partial transcription of the change sheet, without corrections but with added notes:
Short Description PEACOCK AND BROWN
Long Description - UNDER GARMENT (Pregnancy belly attached to sheer flesh coloured all in one undergarment with straps, no breast enhancers for this outfit also worn with Burgany [sic] Velvet & Navy Lace).
-PETTY COAT (Chocolate brown sleeveless floor length quilted, hooped petticoat worn under.)
-OVER DRESS (Blue & Brown shot satin[n 6] empire line over dress, smocked[n 8] yoke[n 9] to form collar F & B[n 10] with beaded edge attached to plain bodice which is attached to Fortuny pleated[n 11] sleeves, pleats smoked [sic] into cuffs with beaded edge and beaded fringing. Dress worn under.
- VELVET CAPE (Blue & Brown shot devore[n 12] velvet[n 7] in peacock design, triangle shapes overlayed [sic] to create cap with rolled collar, glitter spots all over, brown cornelly [sic] work[n 15] around edges including collar, brown beaded tassels at points front and back, worn done up at front.
The change sheet also lists a radio mic (radio microphone for dialogue recording) worn in the hair, something called "flesh pop socks" for stockings, and "brown court shoes" with 1.5" heels (presumably used with multiple costumes?).[9]
Scene 89[n 16] was shot on day 12, July 15, 2003,[13] then George Lucas cut it from the film sometime between March 15–22, 2004.[14][n 17] But the costume didn't disappear. In August 2004, it was featured in the StarWars.com — Making Episode III Webdocs video "Epic Designs for an Expanding Universe":[5]
- George Lucas
- Trisha Biggar
- — Highlighting the not-actually-upcoming costume[5]
It's woven with two different colors, so there's a brown and a blue through it. And it had that fabric pleated so that with movement the fabric goes between being brown and being blue and you're never quite sure.
Annie Leibovitz photographed Natalie Portman and several costume department members dressing her in this costume for a feature in the February 2005 issue of Vanity Fair.[16] Padmé is depicted in this costume on Drew Struzan's theatrical one-sheet release poster (but with parts of the headdress erroneously colored gray).[n 18] Sometime in 2005, Simplicity released a sewing pattern for this costume and paired it with Leia Organa's first costume from Star Wars.[19] Portman also mentioned it when interviewed for Star Wars Insider:
- Star Wars Insider
- Natalie Portman
- — Natalie Portman discusses this and other Episode III costumes[20]
Trisha is such a wonderful person, on top of being an outstanding costume designer. The fabrics she used were just incredible, and the detail was so amazing. I don't know if she and (Director of Photography) David Tattersall had meetings, but the costumes caught the light in such interesting ways that it seemed as if they were always changing. There's a peacock and brown dress that looked like a completely different color depending on the angle it was filmed; just really magnificent.
Costume gallery[]
Fan resources[]
- "Peacock & Brown Costume" by Maggie on The Padawan's Guide to Star Wars Costumes. (Archived on 2024-10-08)
- "A look into Star Wars: Padmé's Dresses. Part XI." on The Costume Vault. Published 2016-02-14. (Archived on 2023-11-21)
- "The Peacock Gown" by Adi on Star Wars: Fit for a Queen. (original link down; URL was: <http://www.rebelshaven.com/SWFFAQ/peacock.php>) (Archived on 2022-12-10)
Notes[]
- ↑ Fan-created nickname
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Fairchild's Dictionary of Fashion by Charlotte Mankey Calasibetta. Published 1988 by Fairchild Publications. Second Edition
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 The Fairchild Dictionary of Fashion by Charlotte Mankey Calasibetta and Phyllis Tortora. Published 2003 by Laurence King Publishing. Third Edition; change of publisher and title from first two editions as Fairchild's Dictionary of Fashion.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Two terms:
- Shot cloth: "Term for fabrics woven with different colored yarns in warp and filling which achieve a changeable or iridescent effect when held in the light. May be made of silk, rayon, or man-made fibers."[n 2]
- Changeable effect: "An iridescent effect in fabric that is achieved by using lengthwise and crosswise yarns dyed different colors. Usually made in silk or lustrous manufactured fibers in fabrics such as taffeta to achieve the most dramatic effect."[n 3]
- ↑ Taffeta: "Crisp fabric with a fine, smooth surface made in the plain weave with a small crosswise rib. Originally made in silk, now made in manufactured filament fibers."[n 3]
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Satin: "Smooth lustrous silk fabric woven with floating yarns in the warp in many variations: (a) woven with a crepe back, and called crepeback satin; (b) finished to be rather stiff in texture and called panne satin; (c) finished with a dull nubbed surface and a satin back and called antique satin. Made of silk, rayon, acetate, nylon, or combinations of these yarns."[n 2] (Shot previously defined.)[n 4]
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Velvet: "A fabric with a short, closely woven pile created from extra lengthwise yarns. Usually the pile is cut to create a soft, rich texture, but sometimes patterns are created by cutting some of the pile yarns and not others. Used for dressy clothing and evening wear."[n 3]
- ↑ Smocking: "Decorative needlework used to hold gathered cloth together. The stitches catch alternate folds in elaborate honeycombed designs. Used especially on infants' and children's yokes and on waists and sleeves of dresses in late 19th and early 20th c., revived in early 1970s."[n 3]
- ↑ Yoke: "Portion of garment fitted across the shoulders in front or back or both to which the lower front and back sections are attached. This piece is sometimes lined."[n 3]
- ↑ Padawan's Guide translation: "F & B" is "front and back".
- ↑ More accurately, this costume has faux Fortuny, imitation Fortuny, or Fortuny-style pleating, as Mariano Fortuny's patented pleating method, genre d'étoffe plissée-ondulée, has not been replicated. Further notes TBA.
- ↑ Devoré, as defined by Trisha Biggar, is "a process that removes selected areas of velvet pile, leaving a pattern behind".[11] She further explained its use on Padmé's ROTS costumes: "The process called devoré means we burned out our own pattern on the velvet to be able to put another color behind it."[4]
- ↑ Lace Machines and Machine Laces, "Glossary", by Pat Earnshaw. Published 1986 by B.T. Batsford.
- ↑ The Larousse Encyclopedia of Embroidery Techniques by Gay Swift. Published 1984 by Larousse & Co.
- ↑ This refers to use of a Cornely: "an embroidery machine which can work with a single needle, or with several needles, embroidering bridal veils etc with chainstitch designs, or with muslin appliqués."[n 13]
Described further:
"The Cornely machine produces a chained line exactly like that made with a hook, but it can sometimes be distinguished, since the machine tends to flatten the line slightly and the twist on the thread remains constant. Starting and finishing is usually done by chaining under or over the same line." [...] "The machine was invented in 1865 by Cornely, utilizing the idea of a selflooped thread and a universal feed, which had been rejected in the earliest days of the sewing machine. It was very popular for extensive costume beading and braiding, and the flapper dresses of the 1920s brought it into wide use. The Cornely is still regularly used in fashion houses to make sumptuous textural decoration and areas of heavy beading."
— About the Cornely machine[n 14] - ↑ The screenplay book identifies this scene as "116 (89)", with the parentheses referring to the scene number used for the shooting script on set in Sydney and in the Making of book,[12] which uses the scene 89 numbering.[13] Scene 89 is also used on this costume's "Change Sheet", included in the "Behind the Seams" insert of the Dressing a Galaxy limited edition.[9] And that's how we can determine the scene number!
- ↑ In early March 2004, George Lucas decided to "take out every scene that doesn't have anything to do with Anakin".[15] This scene was cut even though Anakin is in it.[7]
- ↑ Bonus poster info: the original artwork is acrylic paints and colored pencils on gessoed board, 30" x 40".[17] The poster was unveiled on March 8, 2005.[18]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 New Canon · Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia, "Culture" — "Work Clothing", by Adam Bray, Cole Horton, and Tricia Barr. Published 2017 by DK Publishing.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Real World · Rebel, Jedi, Princess, Queen: Star Wars™ and the Power of Costume. Exhibited 2015–2018. Produced by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in consultation with Lucasfilm Ltd.
SENATOR AMIDALA Peacock and Brown Gown, 2005 Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Shot silk taffeta pleated dress covered with cape featuring cornely embroidery
— Placard for costume - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Real World · Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of Star Wars, "Chapter Four: The Galactic Senate", by Trisha Biggar. Published 2005 by Insight Editions.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Real World · The Art of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, "Part II: Principal Photography", by Jonathan W. Rinzler. Published 2005 by Del Rey.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Real World · Epic Designs for an Expanding Universe
- Originally released online: "Epic Designs for an Expanding Universe" on StarWars.com — Making Episode III Webdocs. Published 2004-08-20. (original link down; URL was: <http://www.starwars.com/episode-iii/bts/me3/7.html>) (Archived on 2004-08-23)
- Home video: Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, DVD disc 2: "Web Documentaries" — "Epic Designs for an Expanding Universe". Released 2005.
- Currently online: "Epic Designs for an Expanding Universe" on StarWars.com
- ↑ Real World · Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of Star Wars, "Costume Index", by Trisha Biggar. Published 2005 by Insight Editions.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Legends & New Canon · Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, deleted scene: "Confronting the Chancellor (Palpatine's office)"
- ↑ Real World · The Art of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, "Part I: Preproduction", by Jonathan W. Rinzler. Published 2005 by Del Rey.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Real World · Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of Star Wars, "Behind the Seams: An Inside Look at the Art of Costume Making", by Trisha Biggar. Published 2005 by Insight Editions. Insert exclusive to Limited Edition. Specifically, the Change Sheet page.
- ↑ Real World · "ArtScene: 0301 - Star Wars: The Power of Costume at Denver Art Museum" by City and County of Denver on YouTube. Posted on 2017-01-26.
- ↑ Real World · Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of Star Wars, "Chapter Two: Royalty", by Trisha Biggar. Published 2005 by Insight Editions.
- ↑ Real World · Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith: The Illustrated Screenplay by George Lucas. Published 2005 by Del Rey.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Real World · Star Wars: The Making of Star Wars Revenge of the Sith, "Part II: Principal Photography" — "Chapter 4: Shooting a Foundation", by J. W. Rinzler. Published 2005 by Del Rey.
- ↑ Real World · Star Wars: The Making of Star Wars Revenge of the Sith, "Part III: Digital Shot Production" — "Chapter 8: A Diamond in the Rough", by J. W. Rinzler. Published 2005 by Del Rey.
- ↑ Real World · Star Wars: The Making of Star Wars Revenge of the Sith, "Part III: Digital Shot Production" — "Chapter 7: Directing on Three Fronts", by J. W. Rinzler. Published 2005 by Del Rey.
- ↑ Real World · Vanity Fair, "Star Wars: The Last Battle", by Jim Windolf. Published February 2005. Photographs by Annie Leibovitz. (web archive)
The Costumers Costume designer Trisha Biggar checks the sleeve on a "peacock dress" worn by Natalie Portman in the role of princess turned senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo. This layered dress is meant to conceal the character's pregnancy. Biggar, who has worked on the series since 1996, says Lucas places more importance on costumes than most directors do. "He has a fantastic eye for clothing," she says. "George is interested in it from the very beginning and has lots of ideas of his own." Padmé’s gown is one of more than 500 costumes made for Revenge of the Sith by Biggar and her team, which includes, from left, Gillian Libbert, Ivo Coveney, Nicole Young, and Michael Mooney.
— Image caption - ↑ Real World · "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" on Drew Struzan Gallery. (Archive link)
- ↑ Real World · Star Wars Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle, "The Prequel Trilogy (1997-2005)", by Pablo Hidalgo (chapter). Published 2010 by DK. Updated and retitled editions in 2012, 2016, and 2021.
- ↑ Real World · Sewing pattern 4443/0577, from Simplicity Costumes for Adults, 2005. View B is this costume.
- ↑ Real World · Star Wars Insider, issue #82, "Queen Mother of the Galaxy", by Brett Rector. Published 2005.