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The fashion statement of the galaxy
Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back
Writers: Lawrence Kasdan, & Leigh Brackett
Director: Irvin Kershner
Darth Vader has one. So does Director Orson Krennic and Captain Phasma. Same for Count Dooku and General Grievous. Padmé owned one and so did her Senatorial buddy Bail Organa. And, of course, Lando Calrissian had many. And that’s just some of the characters on the big screen. You want to know one of the most important ingredients in Star Wars? One of the little details that adds flavor to the galaxy, helping to define the in-story world of fashion while striking a chord in the real-world fandom that just can’t quite commit to being that fashion forward? It’s capes.
Lots and lots of capes.
Darth Vader might have set the tone when he strode on into A New Hope with his dark black cape flowing in the evil breeze behind him, but it was Lando Calrissian, Baron Administrator of Cloud City, friend (or was it foe?) of Han Solo, and all around trendsetter that showed up in The Empire Strikes Back and absolutely raised the bar for how to wear a cape in Star Wars.
Now, let’s be clear, the character of Lando Calrissian is far more than just his capes. He’s a forgiving and, when pressed, loyal friend, he’s a skilled pilot and a future leader in the Rebellion. The character of Lando and the sauntering presence of Billy Dee Williams helped expand the franchise, following the wild success of the first film, and made the galaxy a more robust and diverse place. He also just happened to change the face of fashion in the franchise.
As Han and Chewbacca led a dubious Leia and Threepio into Cloud City to meet their old “friend,” we’re all receiving a lot of mixed signals. There is a history there, and Han proclaims he’s got no love for the Empire, but the whispers between Han and Chewie only create more questions. As an audience, we don’t know what to expect. Then Lando strolls out onto the walkway of landing platform 327, his security entourage behind him, and one of the first images we see of him is one for the ages: charging up to Han Solo, hands on his hips, as his glorious cape flows in the Bespin wind.
This Lando guy has something.
The image is strikingly different than the one Darth Vader presented in A New Hope. Vader’s cape IS magnificent, though, as it brings to mind the menacing visage of a classic monster movie villain. (Dracula is in space and he ain’t happy!) Subsequent Star Wars villains continue to strike that tone.
Count Dooku, played by the monster movie legend Dracula himself Christopher Lee, had another classic cape. Regal and intimidating at once, Dooku was one with his cape, flowing out of it like his hidden Sith Lord soul. Other villains have donned capes in an effort to add that extra layer of perceived power. General Grievous used his cape to collect lightsabers from Jedi that died by his hands. Captain Phasma coldly called for the execution of innocent Tuanal villagers in The Force Awakens while offsetting her stunning silver-plated armor with a black cape with blood red trim. Director Orson Krennic used his cape as an attempt to add to his self-constructed image of feared Imperial leader. It didn’t work in the end, but he did look good dying alone and powerless. Yes, capes are a key part of being bad in the Star Wars world, but the fun doesn’t stop there.
Solo: A Star Wars Story is an absolute ode to capes in the galaxy far, far away. Dryden Vos wears his sleek black cape like the previous Star Wars baddies, but the fun doesn’t stop there. Enfys Nest’s fur lined cape is gloriously rebellious, setting a new trend for marauders everywhere. Qi’ra, always calculating and a step ahead, pauses to enjoy Lando’s fine cape collection and even uses one of his custom pieces as the final ingredient in the trickery used to gain access to the spice mines on Kessel.
And what of that Lando Cape Collection? (Seriously, Lucasfilm just needs to license a line of capes for us to wear in this galaxy.) It is glorious, beautiful, and impressive. The younger version of Lando Calrissian matches Donald Glover’s style and unapologetically leans into the appreciation and importance of capes in Star Wars. The colors, the styles, the variations, the grandeur. It’s as if the center of the Star Wars cape universe is right there on the Millennium Falcon. As it should be. Capes and Star Wars go hand in hand. Something we first realized when Lando strolled out onto that landing platform to greet an old friend, his cape, and legacy, proudly flowing in the wind.