She is a visible leader in the troubled times facing the Galactic Republic, but now privacy and protection are foremost on Padmé Amidala's mind. How do you hide your most vulnerable secret, while still being an outspoken member of the Galactic Senate? Costume Designer Trisha Biggar had to meld Padmé's history of attention-getting wardrobe with the character's need for secrecy in Episode III. The first costume seen in the film is indicative of the challenges faced.

"Padmé ended up with 12 costumes this time," recounts Biggar. "We initially thought she'd have fewer than that, but as always, it worked out that there were more."

Padmé first appears in Episode III on Coruscant, awaiting the return of her secret husband whom she has not seen in months. "The first time we see her, it's sort of a mysterious scene where she's hiding behind pillars, waiting for Anakin to finish talking to Bail Organa," describes Biggar. "I wanted to use a dark color that would allow her to be in the shadows, but as soon as she stepped into the light, the light could catch the fabric."

A combination of velvet fabrics provided the contrasting interplay of light and darkness. "I used navy blue panne velvet, which is velvet with a flat pile so it has a shine on it," she describes. When the lights catch the fabric, areas of the pile catch the light, providing large areas of highlight. "I lined that with a devore velvet, where the pattern has been burned out of it, and you get the color of the lining of the velvet. You end up with two very different shades."

Further concealing Padmé is the shape of the costume. "I wanted to her to be swathed in this velvet cloak. If we saw her full length before that moment, we wouldn't know she was pregnant," says Biggar. "But it's very easy for her to move the drape of the cloak, and then we would see the shape of her pregnancy through the dress if she wanted to reveal it."