The lilac visitation outfit was a Naboo outfit that was part of the wardrobe belonging to Padmé Amidala when she was the Queen of Naboo. The ensemble consisted of a lilac silk overrobe with elaborate silver embroideries, an inner robe made of pale lavender fabric, and an under-robe of crinkled mauve fabric. A silver obi with an all-over geometric pattern cinched the outfit at the waist. It was paired with a Shiraya fan headdress, with the fan shape created by dark brown bristles, metallic gold-colored domes framing either side of her head, and thin strings of pale beads draping over her forehead and shoulders. Underneath the headdress, Amidala wore her hair in a single, thick plait that hung down her back.
Amidala wears the lilac visitation office in her meeting with Senator Palpatine.
In 32 BBY, Amidala traveled to the Galactic Republic's capital on Coruscant to plead with the Galactic Senate to end the invasion of the planet Naboo by the Trade Federation. The events were secretly manipulated by Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith, whose public persona was Senator Palpatine of Naboo. Prior to the special session called by Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, Palpatine and Amidala met in his apartment office to discuss the queen's limited options in appealing to the Senate on behalf of their homeworld. On that grave occasion, Amidala wore the lilac visitation outfit and was accompanied by two of her handmaidens, Eirtaé and Rabé, who wore deep red cloaks with hoods to complement Amidala's attire while fading into the background of the senator's office.
Iain McCaig's concept art, developed into the headdress used with the lilac visitation outfit
The lilac visitation outfit was created for the 1999 prequel trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. Behind the scenes sources give it a variety of names. In Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of Star Wars, it is called "Palpatine Office Outfit I." From 2015 to 2018, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service exhibited the costume as "Shiraya Gown" in Rebel, Jedi, Princess, Queen: Star Wars and the Power of Costume. It was first identified as "lilac visitation outfit" in the new Star Wars canon in the 2017 reference book Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia.
While designing for Amidala, concept artist Iain McCaig was encouraged by George Lucas to create designs that were more ostentations than those worn by Princess Leia. McCaig's outfits for Amidala in her guise as queen made her look more imposing and hid her identity, as the fact that Queen Amidala and Padmé were the same person would be revealed late in the film. One of his pieces became the headdress worn by Natalie Portman in the final film. The finished costume was created by costume designer Trisha Biggar and her department. The beading used in the headdress originated from a exotic dancer's skirt from circa 1920. Biggar's design for the dress was based on a Japanese kimono, with exaggerated, rounded sleeves that Biggar called "penguin sleeves." Both machine and hand embroidery were used in finishing the piece.
- Ultimate Star Wars
- Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, New Edition
- Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition