THE GALACTIC EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES 'DRESSING A GALAXY' PUTS COSTUMES OF 'STAR WARS' FRONT AND CENTER.

Byline: Jennifer Cho Salaff Staff Writer

What - Wookiees can't look good?

Just check out how they can accessorize in ``Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of 'Star Wars,' '' which opened Monday at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Best yet - live fur is politically correct.

The exhibit, beside being a treat for ``Star Wars'' fanatics, is also a visual feast taking in everything from Queen Amidala's opulent royal gowns to stormtrooper military gear to the iconic garb of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader.

``The costumes have a tendency to appear on the screen in a very short amount of time. It's very hard to see the detail and the thousands of hours of work that go into each (one),'' director George Lucas said at the ``Dressing a Galaxy'' opening reception gala.

What you get to see in the exhibit is detail: the delicate pearl beading on Padme Amidala's wedding dress, the beaten-metal face mask of a female Tusken Raider, Darth Vader's mechanical chest plate detail and other surprises.

For the early ``Star Wars'' films (1977-83), Lucas wanted the costumes to be simple yet timeless. But when he started work on the three prequels in the late '90s, he knew he needed a different approach.

Instead of visiting worlds worn down by war and resistance, audiences would be drinking in opulent cities and lavish royal courts. Costumes had to match.

Designer Trisha Biggar melded a variety of cultures, traditions and fabrics for all of the prequel costume designs. Japanese, Mongolian, African and Russian influences are seen in many of the outfits, especially those of Amidala (played by Natalie Portman).

Painstaking detail and imaginative design are evident in Amidala's many dresses, gowns, robes and shawls. Embroidery, stitching, intricate beading, weaving, braiding, smocking, lace work and exotic fabrics give Amidala's wardrobe the regal feel captured in the films.

``We researched periods of time, taking pieces and dipping in and out of cultures,'' said Biggar, who wrote a companion book to the exhibit. ``We looked through books of art, books on photography, archaeological things, patterns, decorative pieces of pottery, fashion books. We mixed (them) all together, coming out with something that, hopefully, looked new, but was still slightly recognizable to the audience.''

Biggar and her team spent hours scouring books, magazines and other reference materials in Lucas' massive library at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County.

``We were at liberty to source things from everywhere - that was the lovely thing about this film,'' she said. ``Unlike a period piece, there weren't tight parameters on time or place.''

Biggar took advantage of color in helping to reveal a character's evolution.

``We wanted to link visually so the audience would recognize the characters as the same ones from 'Episode IV' (the original 1977 'Star Wars'),'' said the costume veteran, who got her start in theater in her native Scotland. ``For instance, as Palpatine's story unfolds, I use color to take him from being chancellor. As he gets more and more power, his character gets darker and darker until he ends up as the emperor in black.''

Biggar made slight adjustments to Darth Vader's costume for ``Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.'' While using the original costume for reference, Biggar made minor changes to give it a more ``machined'' look.

``That was great fun and quite a moment on set,'' she said about actor Hayden Christensen's first appearance as Darth Vader. ``All the crew, everybody, was just waiting, waiting. Everybody was excited about it.''

From the masculine armor of Darth Vader to the embellished jewelry and headdresses of Amidala, costume prop supervisor Ivo Coveney helped construct outfits for the prequel that were not primarily made out of fabric.

``I make masks, jewelry, armor - basically anything that is worn on a costume, but is hard rather than soft,'' Coveney said.

Among the most elaborate and imaginative pieces are Amidala's headdresses.

``They look heavy because they have such an awkward shape,'' Coveney said, pointing to a headdress from ``Episode I'' resembling a ram's horns. ``I wanted to make sure Natalie (Portman) was comfortable wearing them. I knew she had to be in that all day. She was great with it.''

For Coveney, whose film credits include ``Kingdom of Heaven,'' ``Gladiator'' and ``Finding Neverland,'' working with George Lucas was a boyhood dream turned reality.

``I saw 'Star Wars' when I was 12 and it changed everything, as it did for so many in my generation,'' Coveney said. ``No one had ever seen anything like it before. Watching 'Star Wars' made me want to do what I do.''

DRESSING A GALAXY: THE COSTUMES OF STAR WARS

What: Exhibition bringing costumes from all six ``Star Wars'' films together for the first time.

Where: The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Museum and Galleries, 919 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

When: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays; through Dec. 10.

Tickets: Free, but timed tickets are required for admittance. For reservations, go to starwars.fidm.edu (there is a $5 online processing fee) or call [phone] or [phone]; for exhibition info, call [phone].

CAPTION(S):

6 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) A Wookiee costume from ``Revenge of the Sith'' also shows off the armor and weaponry from one of the film's key battle scenes.

(2 -- 3 -- color) Costume designer Trisha Biggar drew from several cultures to achieve the regal look of Queen Amidala's outfits from ``The Phantom Menace,'' above and above right.

(4 -- 5 -- color) Bad guys look good, too: the Boda Fett costume from the origional trilogy, left, and Nate Gunray's threads from ``Attack of the Clones,'' right.

(6 -- color) Prop and costume come together perfectly to convey the menacing nature of this character: the dreaded Tusken Raider.

Photos by Thomas R. Cordova/Staff Photographer