Designing an Empire: The John Mollo Archive

Legendary British costume designer John Mollo’s designs for the original Star Wars gave the world the iconic white Stormtroopers as well as Darth Vader, helping to bring to life one of cinema’s most recognisable characters. And Hongkongers will have a chance to see these drafts up close. The personal notebooks and sketchbooks of Mollo will be on public display in the lead-up to a special auction of the items on December 11 at Bonhams London. The lots include some of the first hand-drawn costume designs for Darth Vader and Chewbacca, and Mollo’s personal production and meeting notes with Star Wars creator George Lucas. The Academy Award statuette that Mollo won for his work on A New Hope is also on exhibit, though it’s not going under the hammer. Other exciting works to look out for include Mollo’s costume sketches for Stanley Kubrick’s stunning 18th-century epic Barry Lyndon, Ridley Scott’s Alien and Douglas Hickox’s Zulu Dawn.