Shawna Trpcic, The Mandalorian & Ahsoka Costume Designer, Dead at 56

Shawna Trpcic, an Emmy-nominated costume designer whose credits include The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, has passed away. News of her passing came via the Costume Designers Guild, who posted the following message on X (formerly Twitter): "With great sadness, we inform you that multiple Emmy-nominated and CDG Award-winning costume designer Shawna Trpcic has passed away unexpectedly. Shawna was one of Hollywood's pre-eminent science fiction costume designers – a creative force, a trusted collaborator, and all-around delightful person for her friends and colleagues." Lucasfilm eulogized Trpcic in a post on the official StarWars.com website. In a statement, her Mandalorian and Ahsoka collaborators Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau paid tribute to her, writing:

"Shawna had a deep love and appreciation for Star Wars," said Filoni. "You can see that in every piece of work she did with us. She loved everything about being a part of these stories, including connecting with fans and being a part of that community. I feel like she has always been a part of Star Wars. Her costumes tell a story, providing the suggestion of a life experience that happened before the cameras rolled. I loved collaborating with Shawna, and I will miss her presence."

"Her creativity brought this world to life," Favreau added. "She will be deeply missed both as a friend and as a colleague."

Though fans know her work from the recent Star Wars shows on Disney+, Shawna Trpcic's work as a costume designer began in the 1990s working as a costume designer on several feature films. In 1993 she would make her first mark on fan culture, serving as the costume designer for the first forty episodes of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. From there she would collabrate on several other fan-favorite shows, working as the costume designer for hit shows like Firefly, Angel, Dollhouse, and Torchwood, plus movies like The Cabin in the Woods and Much Ado About Nothing. 

In 2020, Trpcic would join the crew for The Mandalorian, working as the costume designer for seasons 2 and 3 of the hit Star Wars TV series. She would go on to work as the costume designer for The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka as well. Trpcic was previously nominated for a Primetime Emmy for her work on The Mandalorian Season 2 and The Book of Boba Fett. The most recent Primetime Emmy Awards nominated her again, this time for her work on The Mandalorian Season 3.

A GoFundMe in memory of Shawna has also made its way online, organized by costumer Elissa Alcala, who collaborated with Shawna Trpcic on The Book of Boba Fett  

Photo by Emma McIntyre/WireImage)