Shawna Trpcic Cause of Death: A Star Wars Historian and a Costume Designer Dies at 56
Shawna Trpcic was a renowned American costume designer who worked on several popular films and television shows, including the Star Wars series The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka. She was nominated for three Emmy Awards and won a Costume Designers Guild Award for her work. She passed away on October 4, 2023, at the age of 56.
Quick Biography
Shawna Trpcic was inspired to pursue art by her high school teacher and attended Otis College of Art and Design for fashion. She worked with Bob Mackie’s team during her senior year.
She got her start in the industry with the 1990 film Megaville and later worked as a wardrobe assistant on Toys and Red Shoe Diaries. Trpcic became the costume designer for Joss Whedon’s Firefly in 2002 and continued to collaborate with him on Angel, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and Dollhouse. She also worked with Marti Noxon on Point Pleasant.
She auctioned off several of her costumes from Firefly in 2005 and attended the Browncoat Ball in 2006 with fans who wore her original costumes. She altered her own wedding dress to create the ballgown worn by Morena Baccarin as Inara Serra in the episode “Shindig”.
Trpcic often attempted to add pink flamingos somewhere on her costumes as she considered this to be her signature mark. An example of this is visible on the lapel of Badger played by Mark Sheppard in Firefly.
| Name | Shawna Trpcic |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Shawna Leavell |
| Birth date | October 18, 1966 |
| Birth place | Artesia, California, U.S. |
| Death date | October 4, 2023 |
| Death place | Palm Desert, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Unknown |
| Occupation | Costume designer |
| Notable works | Firefly, Angel, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Dollhouse, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka |
| Awards | Costume Designer’s Guild Award for The Book of Boba Fett |
| Nominations | Emmy Award for The Mandalorian Season 2 and The Book of Boba Fett; Emmy Award for The Mandalorian Season 3 (pending) |
| Children | 2 (Joseph Trpcic Jr. and Sarah Trpcic) |
| Spouse | Joseph Trpcic |
Various Achievements
She was also the costume designer for Torchwood: Miracle Day in 2011 and received praise for her work on the show. She joined Lucasfilm in 2019 as the costume designer for seasons 2 and 3 of The Mandalorian. Shawna Trpcic was considered a Star Wars historian by her peers and researched extensively on the original films and George Lucas’ vision.
She received attention for her work on The Book of Boba Fett where she also researched original designs for the original movie to have costumes capturing its feel. She collaborated with actress Jennifer Beals to design the costume for Beals’ new character Garsa Fwip.
Shawna was nominated for an Emmy for her work on season 2 and 3 of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Her last contribution to the Star Wars universe was designing the acclaimed series Ahsoka.
She volunteered at Juvenile Hall and taught art at a men’s maximum security state prison in Northern California. She was a Christian.
Personal Life & Death
Her married last name is of Croatian origin. Shawna Trpcic died on October 4, 2023, at the age of 56. Her daughter announced her death on social media and said she died suddenly of an unknown illness. Her death was mourned by many colleagues and fans who paid tribute to her talent and legacy. Lucasfilm issued a statement expressing their sadness and appreciation for her work. Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni praised her creativity and collaboration. Jennifer Beals called her a “genius” and a “beautiful soul”. Joss Whedon said he was “heartbroken” by her loss.
Social Media Profiles
Instagram – @trpcic
Facebook – @shawna.trpcic
Twitter – Unknown
Wikipedia – @Shawna_Trpcic
Homepage – @factynews.com
Tributes
Lucasfilm issued a statement on its official website remembering Trpcic as “one of Hollywood’s pre-eminent science fiction costume designers — a creative force, a trusted collaborator and all-around wonderful person.”
Dave Filoni, showrunner/producer of The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka said:
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, showrunner/producer of The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, said:
Her creativity brought this world to life. She will be deeply missed both as a friend and as a colleague.
Jennifer Beals, the actress who played Garsa Fwip in The Book of Boba Fett, tweeted:
Shawna Trpcic was a brilliant costume designer and a beautiful human being. I am so grateful to have known her and worked with her. She made the world a more beautiful place. Rest in peace, dear Shawna.
Mark Sheppard, the actor who played Badger in Firefly, tweeted:
Shawna Trpcic was a genius and a joy. She made us look good and feel good. She was a friend and a mentor. She was family. I will miss her terribly.
Trivia
- Trpcic altered her own wedding dress to create the ballgown worn by Morena Baccarin (as Inara Serra) in the Firefly episode “Shindig”.
- Shawna Trpcic often attempted to add pink flamingos somewhere on her costumes as she considered this to be her signature mark. An example of this is pointed out by Trpcic herself in the audio commentary to “Shindig”, where they are visible on the lapel of the character Badger played by Mark Sheppard.
- In December 2005, Trpcic auctioned off several of the costumes from Firefly that were in her private collection. Many of those costumes were purchased by fans who later wore them to the 2006 Browncoat Ball in San Francisco. Trpcic attended the ball, along with Jonathan A Logan (who made Mal’s original browncoat from Trpcic’s design) and posed for a group shot with everyone who was wearing her original costumes.
