‘Star Wars’ costume exhibit in Manhattan: Dresses to droids on display

From Princess Leia’s gold bikini to Queen Amidala’s flowing red velvet robe, the costumes from the “Stars Wars” movies have always been out of this world.

Now Discovery Times Square (226 W. 44th St.) is giving fans the chance to see more than 70 outfits from the film franchise in “Star Wars and the Power of Costume,” a traveling exhibit presented by the Smithsonian Institution that runs through Sept. 5, 2016. The exhibit, which features 15 galleries, also gives visitors a peek into the evolution of many of the iconic costumes through sketches (Darth Vader’s look went through several transitions from page to screen) and short films that accompany the displays.

Back stories are also shared on the creation of designs such as the heavily embroidered reception gown featuring a hand-cut abalone shell headdress worn by Queen Jamillia in “Attack of the Clones.” “The people working on the movie were dining one night and eating abalone shells and thought this could work in this dress,” says Saul Sopoci Drake, project director at the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.

Drake adds that many pop-cultural influences served as inspiration for some of the more iconic costumes on exhibit. Han Solo’s outfit was rooted in movie westerns while Robby the Robot from “Forbidden Planet” was a starting point for C3PO’s metallic look.

“It took more than two hours to get into that costume,” says Anthony Daniels, who has played C3PO in every “Star Wars” film, including “The Force Awakens,” which opens Dec. 18. “Now I can do it in 10 minutes because they’ve made adjustments to the way things fit together.” Daniels, who was on hand for the exhibit’s premiere, says C3PO’s costume for the new movie was 3-D printed.

Even many of the minor characters, such as soldiers and senators, get to be in the spotlight. “A lot of these costumes are hand-stitched, hand-dyed and hand-beaded. Some of these costumes only show up for less than a minute, but there is a tremendous amount of craftmanship and detail,” Drake says.

At parts of this exhibit, you can touch as well as look — visitors can feel fabric samples from the actual costumes. And as a grand finale, there’s an interactive experience where you can be transformed into your favorite “Star Wars” character.

Tickets are $20-$27.50. For more details, go to discoverytsx.com.