Disney lovers the whole world over have gathered together in Anaheim, California for the epic 3-day D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. Some of the highlights of this year’s experience are new merchandise collections like D23 Star Wars: Dark Side Collection by Alex Riegert-Waters. Our team had a chance to interview Alex about the design, inspiration, and what it's like to be at D23.
(Please note this article contains affiliate links. Your purchase will support Laughing Place by providing us a small commission, but will not affect your pricing or user experience. Thank you.)
When Star Wars burst onto the scene in 1977, no one knew the impact it would have on pop culture, nerd culture, and fashion culture too. Since its humble beginnings on a fateful day in May, the franchise has inspired hundreds of merchandise series and thousands of products, including the brand new D23 Star Wars: Dark Side collection that’s part of Disney’s ongoing Artist Series.
We spoke with series designer Alex Riegert-Waters about creating this collection and his approach to do something different with the characters of Darth Vader and Stormtroopers. “I’ve been a Star Wars fan my whole life. I wanted to find the middle point between the sinister and the fun. I wanted characters that felt as strong and intimidating as they also felt in my mind but translated onto products like this.”
The collection includes a Starbucks tumbler with straw along with a Loungefly mini backpack and ear headband, plus a few other surprises. The pieces are great on their own, but can also compliment the others perfectly. As for his approach to each different item, Alex says he started with character. “I made this line of characters to make sure they were all consistent, then from there the team went and expanded that to something larger making sure the materials were consistent, the colors were consistent so we had something that felt special and really unique.”
Of course there’s no better place to launch a collection than at D23 where thousands of excited Disney fans are anxious to acquire the latest products. Some folks even started lining up to get in at 4am! Alex’s presence at D23 means he’s getting direct feedback from fans and he says, “I love it. Oh I love it. Being able to meet people, sign products and hear about people’s experience with Star Wars and their experience with the product, it’s a good day.”
While we know you shouldn’t pick favorites, we did press him about his favorite representation of the line, “I really love how the backpack turned out…I love the way the shiny metallic red goes with Darth Vader’s eyes and that it highlights the dark colors of his suit.”
As for us, we’re drawn to the ear headband. Not everyone can say they’ve been able to design something for the iconic ears, especially in a way that brings Disney and Star Wars together. Alex reiterates his lifelong love of the Star Wars movies and mentions that he’s been visiting the parks since he was a kid. “To have both those things come together with my art on it, it’s a dream come true.”
D23 Star Wars: Dark Side Collection is available now at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. It launches online at Disney Store starting August 12 at 8am PT and prices range from $24.99-$89.00.
Free shipping at Disney Store:
Don’t forget that Disney Store purchases of $75+ (pre tax) qualify for free standard shipping. Just use the code SHIPMAGIC at checkout.
About Alex:
“Alex Riegert-Waters is a designer and illustrator based in Los Angeles, California. With over 15 years of design experience, he brings a positive attitude and a love of storytelling to all the work he does. Alex is currently a graphic design manager on the Global Product Creation team at the Walt Disney Company. When he is not in the office, he likes to work on personal illustrations and explore the city of Los Angeles with the ones he loves.”
If you’re looking for more shopping opportunities, gift ideas and seasonal fun we have plenty of news and merchandise featured under our shopping tag!