ANDOR: Why Every Costume Has a Political Meaning | Behind the Seams

[@nocturnenoble2468]

The throwaway scene where Luthen tried to upsell the wealthy woman an artifact from a dead civilisation really resonated with me. Such flippant regard to what was likely a genocide - Luthen's delivery was fantastic but I'm comforted by the notion that, inwardly, he was probably disgusted at the lengths he must go to to ensure his cover isn't blown. Loved the rustic muted colour palette on Ferix and everything Mon Mothma wore was divine and so elegant.

[@zenosAnalytic]

I love how they gave Nemik a floppy hat to mark him as loveable and sincere. Everything about him just screams "The Boy", which of course makes his storyline all the more effective.

[@Kaiserohnepurpur]

I disagree. Nemik's hat is clearly influenced by Communist Revolutionary hat "Budenovka". We know Nemik's was in the process of writing a revolutionary manifesto just before his death, an explicit allusion to Marx's "Communist Manifesto". So, I think the hat is a symbol for Nemik's revolutionary side. It doesn't surprise me, honestly, for how the producer of the show likened Andor to young Stalin. The whole show can be read as imperialism/colonialism vs. revolutionary people's struggle for freedom. So many Socialist Revolution vibes in the show that I think a video that dives into Communist aesthetic in Andor would not be out of place.

[@MM-vs2et]

@@Kaiserohnepurpur Yeah, I definitely see Stalin in Cassian. From the bank jobs he used to do, and the imprisonment in the gulags, Aldhani and Narkina 5. And being a follower of Lenin, Nemik.

[@user-hu3iy9gz5j]

@@Kaiserohnepurpur The left-wing elements were itchy by being left-wing.. It didn't take me out of the story however and felt unusually authentic, although arguably too earthly for a franchise set in another galaxy. Great show regardless

[@LexYeen]

@user-hu3iy9gz5j sir I hate to be the bearer of bad news but war is and always will be political even in a galaxy far, far away

[@user-hu3iy9gz5j]

@@LexYeen They might be political, but should they be "political"🤔

[@noexpensespentstudios]

The Coruscant interior sets have a sense of 1930s luxury apartments and homes of western Europe, really helping to emphasise the metaphor of what is happening politically. There's a lot of the art deco aesthetic about Coruscant that aligns it well as adjacent to the Empire's usually more striking bauhaus style.

[@rbush88]

The early shot of all the gloves on Ferrix also really stood out to me. In a flash, you could understand so much about the community. The colour palate on Ferrix was so small that it made me think that it not only showed them as a unified community but perhaps revealed an existing control the Empire had on them. The clothes aren't as identical as prison uniforms but all clothes being only 2 or 3 different colours suggests a lack of freedom in how to dress. The clothes are worn and practical so it doesn't feel like a fashion choice (a la the metallics on Coruscant), but maybe because of access or affordability there are only so many places available to the workers on Ferrix to buy clothes.

[@CantankerousDave]

Yeah, you can see that each pair of gloves has been customized by its owner, and that they're all well cared for. Nothing is fancy, but it's all practical and kept in good repair, which totally fits a working class town.

[@theaizere]

also how they trust each other not to steal, a close knit community indeeed

[@CantankerousDave]

Mon frequently voices her disapproval of the conservative trends of her homeworld, and she only wears traditional Chandrilan outfits (the cream and blue numbers) in the senate and at the very end at the formal introduction of her daughter to her new money launderer's son. Otherwise, she wears Coruscanti fashions. It's a subtle way of rebelling via what she wears, which I thought was really cool.

[@Justanotherconsumer]

Supposedly the outfit worn by her old friend whose name escapes me at the moment is based on early drawings of what Obi-wan was supposed to be wearing.

[@TheAqissiaq]

Another great thing about the clothing on Ferrix: the colors and style is reminiscent of the clothes worn by rebels in the original trilogy. Maybe the rebels see Ferrix as the cradle of the rebellion after Rix Road and their style is influenced by that. (Or maybe Brasso arrives in a rebel cell and they all go "damn, this dude has STYLE")

[@MJFlinkman]

Absolutely love the uniforms worn by the Ferrix characters in the funeral scene. They hint at so much history in the community. Love a space flute too. Also obsessed with them just straight dressing Luthen like a jedi when he gives his "I made my mind a sunless place" speech. A decision intended to make a bunch of theorists in the audience lose their minds.

[@Justanotherconsumer]

They really did a great job of establishing Ferrix as a lived-in place. The Time Grappler as a “clock tower” of sorts was a really nice touch.

[@zljmbo]

both Luthen and his assistant only wear robes, and they are always talking about controlling their emotions, they are obvious familiar with jedi discipline. I also believe that Force is there, guiding Andor, first it was piece of equipment he wanted to sell to get out and he meet Luthen, then he has given crystal that is used in lightsabers and he ended up victorious, the Forse guided him to kill other guy that wanted to rob rebels, and when he returned crystal he was given Nemec's manifesto that he starts reading after escaping prison.

[@RDJ134]

This is far out my favorite show of 2022, its briljant on many levels. This video shows how deep the show goes, i love it.

[@MM-vs2et]

Mon Mothma went from a minor exposition dump character, to one of the most interesting characters in SW. Cannot wait for season 2 and see her story develop even more.

[@Justanotherconsumer]

Giving her a spin-off show might even be fun. Why does she do what she does? Seems likely she had a mentor or idol or inspiration and in my head canon there’s probably a political link to one Senator Amidala. Probably more a “inspired by” rather than a direct relationship, but Padme was influential enough from the Clone Wars era that Mon not knowing or being influenced by her seems improbable. That her mysterious death was not from “sadness” but actually an assassination either by poison or Power Of The Dark Side (tm) is a topic well worth covering.

[@MM-vs2et]

@@Justanotherconsumer It would be cool to see how Mon and Luthen met. Maybe they already knew each other since the Clone Wars, and a spin-off(of a spinoff, of a spinoff lmao), of these 2 characters would be wild.

[@kata_kombi]

​@@Justanotherconsumer Padme and Mon were definitely friends, thats shown on the clone wars animated series, and there's a deleted scene of rots where they discuss starting the rebellion with a close knit group of senators, Mon also attented Padmes funeral in tales of the jedi

[@lordhoot1]

I like how much more colourful and brash Davo Sculdun's clothes are compared with the other wealthy Chandrilans. A sign of his lack of class, as a member of the nouveau riche?

[@CantankerousDave]

It's like he said - when you're rich enough, you don't have to care what other people think.

[@Articolate]

Great analysis; I'd have been happy for a full hour's discussion. Weird this doesn't have more views. Gotta bump the algorithm. One thing I've not seen discussed anywhere is the visual parallel between Cyril's corpo boots (blue with orange stripe) in E1 and the prison guards' ostentatious protective footgear in the incarceration segment. It draws a subtle alignment between the two groups - some petty tyrants, others just trying to pull a paycheck.

[@blueoutrun]

Shoutout to how the designers apparently spent a lot of effort finding semi-translucent, papery fabric for the prison uniforms because they created an idea that the uniforms were disposable - reflecting how people are disposable to the empire.

[@359339]

With the prisoner uniforms, I understood that they matched the white interiors to really nail home that these people were interchangeable parts of the institution, but I kept thinking how annoying it would be for the prison guards to see what anyone was doing.

[@Justanotherconsumer]

The orange on white looks a little bit too much like the Rebel pilot uniforms to be an accident.

[@LexYeen]

They (the Empire) didn't think they needed to see what the prisoners were doing. All they needed to do was turn the floors on twice a day and keep their numbers up.

[@Badwolfwho1]

Always enjoyed reading your weekly Andor articles back when I still used Twitter, enjoyed watching this video as well. Personally I enjoyed Mon Mothma's outfits and also Cinta's main Aldhani outfit if I had to pick out a couple off the top of my head.

[@DannyMahes]

@14:54 to your point, we mostly teach and study history right now based on "Great Man Theory" i.e. specific people had an oversized effect on historical events ala Luke Skywalker. There's a more egalitarian approach called Collective History that looks at how groups of people and multiple individuals affect historical events. Which is what I think Andor is trying to reflect.

[@federov100]

Excellent essay, I intuitively grasped that significant attention was given to clothing, really appreciated your analysis… By the way, I wonder if Nemik’s cap is a historical nod to early 20th century socialist revolution.

[@kamillavalter]

I am so happy that the algorithm showed me your video! The costumes in Andor are just supreme and I needed this kind of analysis. Thank you!

[@Sinewmire]

Luthen's outfit when he visits Ferrix the second time is pure Sith, and Deedra's 'disguise' that makes her stand out to a hilarious degree - everyone on Ferrix has clearly clocked her, as well as the other Imperial spies.

[@kaleirrion]

What did you think was the significance of Syril and Mosk exchanging hats when they finally meet up again?

[@budakbaongsiah]

Philosophically, trust between each other and that they got each other's back. Practically, you'd see each other easily amongst the crowd. A person with a hat that its color doesn't match its clothing and would match better on yours.

[@Сайтамен]

Because Syril cares about his fashion and Mosk knows his hat suits his uniform better.

[@asylumprophet]

Corpo officers had orange brims (5:20), Mosk gave him an orange hat as a sign of respect.

[@m.e.3862]

@@budakbaongsiah I keep on reading that this hat trading as some kind of spy craft but I've never seen it before in any spy movies.

[@dustronyt4565]

@@budakbaongsiah to add more, it's easier to spot your hat in a crowd than friend's one

[@chrisz2633]

Love Mon Mothma's outfit in the Senate Chambers! I am trying to build a cosplay costume around it for a photo shoot I am doing and I am wondering if you have any insight into the fabrics they used for the different parts of the look! Thanks for making this, and I cannot wait for more Andor!

[@badbenito]

In a franchise where the costumes are renown for being hokey, anachronistic and culturally appropriated, Andor is a REVOLUTION. Michael Wilkinson has created a universe in clothing that I want to wear myself--not as cosplay, but as everyday wardrobe. Narkina 5 pajama sets, anyone?

[@OfficialROZWBRAZEL]

, I love the implication that the prisoners uniforms inspired the rebellion x-wing pilot jumpsuits

[@martinjrgensen8234]

Mon Mothmas wardrobe is just chefs kiss beautiful

[@Calinicus72]

I love analyses like yours! Most analyses don’t tie the characters to the people in terms of what they mean in the grand scheme of things like yours has. Glad YT dropped this in my suggestions!

[@izzyworld8068]

Great feature. Just discovered this channel via the Andor connection. Enjoyed the insights and attention to detail when dissecting the various costumes, their cultural significance within the Star Wars universe and their real world influences. The choice of pallets and costume design in Ferix and all the other locations in this series has been both thoughtful and skillfully realised and I love your concise and informative narration that brings these aspects to our attention. Consider me a subscriber !

[@MuadMouse]

A really interesting analysis! I don't have much of an eye for fashion myself, so it's particularly interesting to see how it interacts with things more down my alley, like class and power relationships or economics. 'The fabric of society' is an apt metaphor for how all these things interweave and need to be understood as parts of a system.

[@anacarolmsc]

I just found the channel, so good!!! Would you analyze the series Interview with the Vampire? The costuming is incredible and Carol Cutshall shared several of her ideas on videos and her Instagram. Thank you for the great content!

[@MostThingsKenobi]

This was a brilliant analysis 👏👏👏 thank you for doing this video.

[@DanielSmith-zo1db]

I enjoyed this video quite a bit. I disagree on the cultural appropriation point. It’s a conversation that always needs to be had for sure. I think that drawing upon the art of other cultures can help us be more open as long as it stays respectful. I think a lot of the clothing in Star Wars is in admiration of those cultures. That being said, there is a line to be careful of to not make the outfit part of the weirdness of an alien culture or something of the like

[@connorhalleck2895]

dammit i have to watch so many of your videos now i love this

[@jrb6960]

I just stumbled on this - what a cool show! Love the name - loved this episode - cant wait to check out some other episodes.

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

Happy new year Gavia! What did you think of Glass Onion??

[@d353rt3ur]

Very interesting analysis. I would like to see more of that.

[@dorobooya4721]

Lucas made the conscious choice of creating a different look for the prequels, which draws from Art Nouveau to contrast against the brutalism of the middle trilogy. I have no idea what the heck they did with the last three movies.

[@KemetNubian1]

Brilliant analysis! The "Clothes make the man (woman)" quote has never been more appropriate. Thanks.

[@jimmypena3317]

Awesome vid

[@colin5227]

Cool vid!!!

[@justalittleguy733]

excellent video! my fav outfits are definitely mon mothma's!

[@professeurgideere5856]

Andor isn't just the best star wars spinoff. It's the best star wars since star wars.

[@nightfirelal]

Thank you!

[@senatuspopulusqueromanus2082]

I never imagined myself one day thirsting after Mon Mothma of all characters. Not saying it's bad

[@SAVUFILMS]

So Andor is just Solid snake of StarWars

[@davydatwood3158]

This will be a bit long, but I had a bunch of different reactions to your video! First, as a Canadian can I just say I find it hilarious that you parse the prison guard footwear as "sneakers?" To me, a "sneaker" is a light-weight, reasonably comfortable, casual shoe worn by people who aren't doing anything that's stressful on their feet, and while there *is* a resemblance between the costume piece and a high-top sneaker, the costume is also very clearly made from a ski boot - which is about as far from "light weight" or "comfortable" footwear as one can get! In my eye they are very definitely heavy, uncomfortable protective boots. The insights about the Chandrillan costumes are very cool, and I hadn't thought about them from a cultural appropriation angle. There's also an echo of how the small kilt or feelie beg, which during the 18th century evolved to become a symbol of the Scots highlanders - arguably the epitome of "enemy of the English" in that time frame - had, by the mid 19th century become surprisingly popular amoungst the idle rich in England. However, I need to quibble with your classing this as "Coruscant" fashion - I think the show is very clear about saying that the Chandrilans have their own culture and everyone in Mon's family is deliberately displaying it. Don't forget that she's a political representative of her homeworld and, much like 19th Century ambassadors, seems to be making an effort to display and promote Chandrillan culture. Finally, I think your video highlights how every viewer is going to interpret the show through their own lens. I'm assuming from your accent that you're Scottish, and to you the situation on Aldani brought to mind the treatment of the Scots Highlanders by the English and the Lowlanders. As I said, I'm Canadian and to me Aldani brought to mind the forcible relocation of the Inuit to Resolute in the 1960s - hundreds of people yanked out of their homes and shoved into a barely habitable area in order to refute American claims that the Artic Ocean was international waters. A friend of mine who's American saw references to the "Trail of Tears," where the so-called "Five Civilized Tribes" of what is now the eastern US were forcibly relocated west of the Mississippi. So I suppose this also highlights that Andor isn't really about one particular nation or event in human history, but rather critiquing the general behaviour of authoritarian states and the current slow drift back towards them.

[@scarlettmi]

There are both Coruscant and Chandrilans fashions on display that she was discussing.

[@Articolate]

second on the boots/sneakers distinction !

[@SAVUFILMS]

“Bras doesn’t exsist in space” -George Lucas

[@paulhunter6742]

In the prison on Narkina V, wouldn't it be more practical to give prisoners implant devices instead of running electricity through floors? What happens in event of power failure at prison? Plus constantly shocking prisoners would weaken their hearts eventually lose many of your captive workforce.

[@juanitajones6900]

I would have been fine with Season 1 of Andor, if the pacing had been better and the Mon Mothma arc dropped altogether.

[@KhalideKashmiri]

I was actually flabbergasted by the sudden shift of Chandri-la aesthetic from what we saw on mon mothma before that. Previously she was dressed in only slightly structured garments that loosely draped around her body, they evoked associations with something like catholic priest robes or greek togas. Now it's something entirely different, a Japanese-meets-artDeco style in interior design and old Hollywood meets japan costume wise, that is very strange. I recognize the obvious and safe choice of choosing a "more" patriarchal culture to draw associations with, but wasn't the roman empire and classical greece also a terrible place to be as a woman tho?🤡 I don't believe that it was a "cultural appropriation" situation concerning the in-universe context, but rather unimaginative choice of exploiting the asian cultures of the planet earth to convey a message. For aldhani people they could have used Scottish-inspired motifs or any other mountain-based culture. But no, it's direct loan from struggles of people from Tibet and Nepal for independence that the production team has chosen. Maybe they did that because the other cultures weren't "exotic enough" to insinuate "aliens on alien planets doing alien things"

[@13dirtblack]

Interesting takes but "conservative" or "traditional" is not "fascist" for instance Mon Mothma's homeworld's traditions are just that... traditions.

[@rkdeshdeepak4131]

Yeah, this video is mostly leftist propaganda

[@khomo12]

👍👍👍

[@prestonshaffer7104]

😓 'Promosm'

[@Italianplayercvu]

The only thing i really don't understand is the clothing cultural appropriation. It's slightly distasteful and probably would be better if greater ranges of actors were present but it's another galaxy. Until we put written that each planet has a distinct ethnicity (human regarding, other species don't count too much for this bad stereotypes aside) what's really wrong with it? Star wars probably has a roman styled planet or 1500 german styled planet, is that appropriation?

[@neilhydro]

Why have you taken so long to point out there are no buttons in Star Wars?

[@Сайтамен]

But there are. Anakin's undershirt has some

[@mecurian485]

Lost interest as soon as you started using phrases like "colonialism" and "cultural appropriation". Sad because what you were saying was interesting, but since your mind is wrapped up in identity politics, you diminish yourself.

[@mathiasbartl903]

You are borthered when someone says 'colonialism', which is a thing in the real world, when referring to a setting that has an entire swath of the galactic map, just refered to as 'The Colonies'? 😂😂😂😂

[@mecurian485]

@@mathiasbartl903 Colonialism and cultural appropriation are tired phrases, with the latter being pure fantasy, they have no place in Star Wars and are shoved in as negatives simply to bolster a very Earthly, very biased and an ahistorical worldview, that I'd prefer not to see in my entertainment.

[@ttaM-reyeM]

Would have been a good video until it went woke.

[@agustinbaletti]

The fact that you donned traditionalism as a symptom of fascism is appalling. You should really rethink what you said because it’s horrific and dumb. You can be traditionalist and be opposite entirely to fascism. Jesus christ the things you have to hear…

[@CantankerousDave]

I think she meant ultra-conservatism.

[@TheAqissiaq]

"The cult of tradition" is literally the first feature given by Umberto Eco in Ur-Fascism - one of the most influential texts on describing fascism. Now, he does say these features are "also typical of other kinds of despotism or fanaticism" and that "many of them contradict each other" but so does this video. A fetishization of tradition can be a feature of fascism, and Gavia points out that in this specific case it is used as such. It is entirely appropriate (and correct) in a video about the aesthetics of empire - and also supported by the text: Leida is shown in more traditional styles of clothes and hair and then *joins a cult of tradition in the seat of empire*.

[@thomaskole9881]

I can see your reasons for disagreeing but 'horrific' and 'appalling' is a bit much ain't it. Arguably, she has a point; because fascism often appeals to traditions (perceived or otherwise) to evoke nostalgia and stir up sentiments for the resurrection of a mythical 'golden age', where everything was better, everyone knew their place and the nation was great, powerful and pure (like how Mussolini wanted to revive the Roman Empire, the nazis were obsessed with reinventing pre-christian Germanic culture, or if you wanna stretch it, the slogan of Make America Great Again). I don't think her argument should be taken as 'tradition=evil fascism' or that she intended it that way. But the term traditionalism in a purely political context is more often associated with highly conservative or outright reactionary schools of thought, which play into themes of unquestionable authority, patriarchy and militarism.

[@rkdeshdeepak4131]

This video is largely leftist propaganda