'Star Wars' Gowns Bring the Force to New York Fashion Week

Rodarte fashion show on Tuesday during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)

The designers at Rodarte must be just as jazzed as the rest of us about J.J. Abrams's "Star Wars: Episode VII" project because they brought some major nerd culture to New York Fashion Week, putting Yoda and friends front and center on the runway.

Yes, the Force was definitely with Rodarte's Fall 2014 presentation on Tuesday, during which several of the models traipsed down the catwalk in a series of loose, floor-length gowns adorned with the familiar faces of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Master Yoda, and the droid tandem of C-3PO and R2-D2. Two others bore landscape homages to Tatooine and the Death Star.

(Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)

Several other items from the collection could easily serve as costume-wear for the Galactic Senate, sure, but these five pieces had actual film images transposed onto the fabric. (There were also some furry purses that reminded us of Ewoks.

As the Grand Master Jedi himself might put it, very pleased Twitter was.

While the reveal came as a happy surprise to most, perhaps it shouldn’t have been. After all, series creator George Lucas was spotted in the front row of the brand's Fall 2012 show and is said to be a "fan" of its sister design team, Kate and Laura Mulleavy.

In turn, the Mulleavy sisters themselves are notoriously big sci-fi junkies and even helped create a short film last year with Todd Cole: "This Must Be the Only Fantasy," featuring Elijah Wood, fairies, and electric swords (which, come to think of it, do sort of remind us of light sabers).

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times about their choice to let their geek flag fly with the collection, Kate Mulleavy explained that the line was inspired by their '80s childhood experiences and that they simply "couldn't have done a collection like this and not included 'Star Wars.'"

Laura Mulleavy added, "it's so rare that you can use a film still as artwork and have it look like a painting. It's so beautiful."

Interestingly enough, the pair is more than willing to lend a hand to Disney/LucasFilm, should there be any additional need for "Episode VII" costume work.

"Who wouldn't'?" they said. "I'm sure they are taken care of, but who wouldn't do it?"

Indeed, costume designer Michael Kaplan, who worked with J.J. Abrams previously on his "Star Trek" films, has already been tapped for the job, but the enthusiasm is certainly admirable.