by Gold Derby
When “Star Trek: Discovery” jumped ahead in time by 1,000 years for its Season 3 premiere, costume designer Gersha Phillips was able to do something she long wanted to try on the science-fiction series: ditch the seams.
“At first, I was actually kind of paralyzed [by the time jump],” Phillips tells Gold Derby during the Meet the Experts: Costume Designers panel. “I actually didn’t know what to do or how to start. Every time I tried to put together notes for my illustrator, I was like, I don’t know what to do here! But I kind of went back to what I started with at the beginning. When I started Season 3 one of my things was that you shouldn’t see how things are made, you shouldn’t see the sewing or some of those characteristics because technically you should be looking at something where clothing is printed or replicated — it will be made in a different way in the future.”
Phillips has been with “Star Trek: Discovery” since its inception — and she’s created outfits and costumes that don’t just look great in a static position, but must also withstand the scrutiny of a massive action set-piece.
“For us, it’s one thing to build a great costume for somebody to wear and they look great standing there. But then we have to think about them sitting on the bridge and then all these other things they may be possibly doing. There’s a lot of thought that goes into that,” she says.
