Securing perhaps the biggest costume job going at the moment, Michael Kaplan has officially been chosen as costume designer for Star Wars Episode VII. It was on his IMDb page for a short while (later removed), but now the appointment has been corroborated by the man himself. “I am very excited to be working on Star Wars” Kaplan confirms to Clothes on Film “I’m so looking forward to collaborating, once again, with JJ.”

Kaplan is now director J.J. Abrams’ regular costume designer having worked with him on Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness. Evidently after two terms with Abrams on Star Trek, Kaplan has the sci-fi chops necessary to tackle arguably a denser franchise with even greater fan expectation. Get it right and he could have an Oscar to put alongside his BAFTA statuette and Costume Designers Guild awards, get it wrong and there will be nowhere to hide, and probably no option to come back for the sequels.

Michael Kaplan first dabbled in sci-fi for Blade Runner. Saying something about his reluctance to be pigeon holed, Kaplan’s next film was Flashdance .

Besides Star Trek, one of Michael Kaplan’s earliest sci-fi gigs was as co-costume designer with Charles Knode on Blade Runner in 1982 (which he referenced for Into Darkness). Kaplan’s most impressive skill however is his versatility. A costume CV that includes Flashdance, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Seven, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Fight Club and Burlesque is not the résumé of someone afraid to try new things. What Kaplan has in store for Star Wars Episode VII is anybody’s guess at present, though providing he retains Han Solo’s black cotton waistcoat he is at least starting on safe ground.

Star Wars Episode VII begins shooting in 2014 for release in 2015.

© 2013 – 2014, Lord Christopher Laverty.