ik everyone's already torn the discovery klingon redesign to shreds and back a thousand times and there's a high chance somebody's made this exact post before, but seeing the costumes on mannequins really hammers in how Weird they are in terms of design choices.
like the details are all so intricate and gorgeous, but the shapes are SO bulky and awkward. the wide shoulders, exaggerated neck/collar, and flaring out around the thighs puts me in mind of elizabethan english menswear; while the layered effect in the skirts/sleeves (and tabis?? the boots??) is reminiscent of japanese samurai armour.
both of which makes sense! because the heightened language and drama of shakespeare had a big influence on both the writing and visual design of the klingons after tos, and the principles of honour and warrior culture of the samurai also played a big part albeit filtered through the perceptions of the american writers room. these are both well established klingon influences, so i would get where they're coming from, if it weren't for the fact it's such an utter visual departure from anything the klingons have worn before.
the standard klingon armour went through minor changes from the tos movies to the end of voyager, but you can see the basic design stays the same: the shoudlers are wide, but not high, and most of the bulk is in the arms. the tunic part below the belt isn't nearly as exaggerated as it is in discovery, and there's plenty of room for leg movement, in fact the tight trousers have subtle vertical seams that emphasise length over width.
the same principles can be seen in the more ceremonial klingon costumes - the main bulk is still in the arms, and long, vertical lines create a sense of height. which makes sense when you consider the costumes in action, because the massive wigs provide so much bulk and drama, so the costumes don't have to.
here's a klingon costume from next gen, one from ds9, and one from voyager to illustrate how unified these principles were: when the legs are obscured, long vertical lines are created by draped, floor length skirts or overcoats, the bulk is typically in the arms and the torso is broken up by sleeves of a different colour or fabric (the centre costume was worn over another garment), narrowing the chest and emphasising the arms.
although the disco costumes are more ceremonial, they're closer to the classic uniform design so i tried to compare the two compositionally and i--
its a MESS the samurai-style armour plating creates so many horizontal lines that everything looks short broad and stubby, there's no elegance or movement but rather than seeming solid and imposing it just looks bulky and awkward. they also completely ignore the juxtaposition of textures in the old klingon costumes, which combined shiny leather and metal with darker furs and velvets and matte fabrics, so the disco klingon costumes just look unilaterally shiny which adds to the visual confusion. i will say i do kind of fuck with the armoured beetle vibe, it even works with the version of klingon evolution we were shown in next gen, but it's just poorly executed on a visual level.
anyway i dont think ive even said anything new here, it's just crazy the level of budget ambition and talent that went into the redesign with Such a poor payoff
2087
jacobvanloon
dededos
kianamaiart
annaxmalina
