#Shawna Trpcic, ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘Ahsoka’ Costume Designer, Dies at 56

Shawna Trpcic, the Emmy-nominated costume designer who worked on the Star Wars series The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka, has died. She was 56.

Trpcic died suddenly of an unknown illness in Palm Desert on Wednesday, her daughter, Sarah, told The Hollywood Reporter.

“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,” her rep Tim Kressman shared in a statement. “She was a beloved member of the Star Wars/Lucasfilm family, as well as the community of costume designers and the Costume Designers Guild.”

Born on Oct. 18, 1966, in Artesia, California, Trpcic received her first costume designer credit in 1990. She went on to work with several small and large productions, as well as regularly working on Lucasfilm productions, beginning with season two of The Mandalorian in 2019.

The also worked on two seasons of The Book of Boba Fett and one of the newest Star Wars series, Ahsoka. Her other credits include The Ballad of John St. George, Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein, Carry Tiger To Mountain, Revival, Witches of East End, The Cabin in the Woods, This Is the End and Dollhouse.

Ahsoka creator Dave Filoni remembered Trpcic, writing, “Shawna had a deep love and appreciation for Star Wars. 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.”

Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian creator, added, “Her creativity brought this world to life. She will be deeply missed both as a friend and as a colleague.”

During her career, she received several achievements, including three Emmy nominations for The Mandalorian season 2, The Book of Boba Fett and most recently, The Mandalorian season 3. She also won a Costume Designers Guild Award for her design work on The Book of Boba Fett.

In August, Trpcic spoke with Gold Derby about why she loves creating designs for the science-fiction genre. “What I enjoy about Star Wars … is I have total freedom within that genre. I find the challenge of creating something from nothing incredible,” she said at the time. “I love creating worlds. I love it when we go to a new planet. I love establishing a caste system within the planet: the workers, the government, the bosses. I love creating a believable society on each planet.”

Survivors also include her son, Joseph, and daughter, Sarah. The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with expenses.

Mike Barnes contributed to this report.