Star Wars stormtrooper helmet designer discusses 1976 prototype auction

The British costume designer behind the original Star Wars stormtrooper helmets has spoken about an upcoming auction of early production material. Andrew Ainsworth appeared in a broadcast interview as a presenter tried on a replica helmet made from the same mould as the originals.

The auction will feature original production moulds and an extremely rare prototype of the stormtrooper helmet made in 1976. The items come 50 years after the designs were first created.

Ainsworth said the helmet used in the studio was not an original, but came from the same mould and was identical to the originals. He explained that the original helmets were made from cruder plastics and were not glossy or shiny, with a rough finish that still looked fine on screen.

He recalled how he became involved. A friend and neighbour, Nick Pemberton, had a union ticket. The buyers for Star Wars asked Pemberton to make items, and he passed the work to Ainsworth because he knew a man who could do it. Ainsworth described the job as an absolute no hoper and said most of the film industry is always a joke. He made the helmet up as a punt and presented it to George Lucas. Lucas went back to America for two weeks, returned and immediately ordered 50 helmets. Ainsworth said he could only speculate that the helmet helped the film survive, but he liked to think so.

Ainsworth still makes the helmets because he has the moulds. He said he can sculpt moulds out of aluminium, having previously made cars, and that they last indefinitely. There is a strong Star Wars fan following. He also runs a licensing business under the original Stormtrooper brand. He said his rights were established after a nine-year litigation case with Lucas to get his intellectual property rights back. He noted merchandising is probably what films are made for.

He also discussed other designs, including a TIE pilot helmet and a helmet for Darth Vader's henchman in the final battle scene. Lucas had asked for a piece of black plastic for the back, but Ainsworth cut a helmet in half, pushed a stormtrooper face into it and added a crown on top. It lay around the studios for about two months before being pulled out for the end scene.

On visibility, Ainsworth said his idea was that future characters would have multiple or fly-like three-dimensional vision, so he used blister eyes, which also made the helmet look more sinister. Actors could not see through them, so the blister eyes were replaced with green acetate. They managed, although they hit their heads.

Asked about AI in costume design, Ainsworth said people with talent and experience can get there quicker than AI. He argued AI would employ programmers and hundreds of people, while one man in a shed with a vision can do it overnight. He said there is still a place for people with talent, and that human beings have intelligence.