“The real Space Force came out at the same time the show was ramping up so we had nothing to compare it to,” confesses costume designer Kathleen Felix-Hager. In our recent webchat (watch the exclusive video above), she continues, “It gave me a free reign to re-imagine what these uniforms for a new branch of the military would look like. But nothing in the show was making fun of the military, so it was very important to be very respectful and keep them classic.”
Netflix’s new comedy “Space Force” is created by Greg Daniels and Steve Carell. Felix-Hager reveals her favorite idea was “the moon camo fatigues. It’s such a funny image. I worked with this graphic designer and came up with this idea of the moon prints. That’s one thing about the costumes that are so subtle. It is this ridiculous print; you would never be in moon camo on the moon. But when we made the fatigues we used the existing pattern of the army and air force. So it’s a uniform that the military is familiar with, but using our fabric. There’s this balance of ridiculousness and realness that the show threads throughout.”
Carell plays General Mark Naird, who is responsible for the military branch. The costume designer says, “I love Steve Carell’s Class A uniform, his most formal. In particular, his ribbon rack. Greg Daniels had this whole bible backstory for the character. It was very detailed about his service in the military and awards. We incorporated all his backstory into those ribbons. I’ve had military people send me messages saying how well we did in representing that.”
Coming onto the show Felix-Hagar explains, “When Greg asked me to do this, I jumped at the chance to work with him. He basically said it’s a workplace comedy about a new branch of the military. When I met with him and he started going over his vision and the scope, I thought I may have bitten off a bit too much. It’s a very grand scale. Not only the costumes but the way it’s filmed, the cinematography is so beautiful, the production design is so ambitious. All of those pieces working together was a challenge but a good one. Everyone had to up their game.”
PREDICT the 2020 Emmy nominees now; change through July 28
Be sure to make your Emmy predictions today so that Hollywood insiders can see how their TV shows and performers are faring in our odds. You can keep changing your predictions as often as you like until just before the nominees are announced on July 28. And join in the fun debate over the 2020 Emmys taking place right now with Hollywood insiders in our television forums. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.
SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions
