Filed under: NX-01 Deck Plans
Robert Blackman is one of the unsung heroes of modern Trek. His contribution to the Star Trek Universe will be lasting and enduring. But despite his amazing talent and numerous awards, he is tragically unknown to many fans, even though his work is some of the easiest to recognize from the franchise. Who is he? Mr. Blackman is the costume designer.
Bob Blackman got his start in the third season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. His first contribution would be a redesign of William Ware Theiss’ beautiful but maddeningly uncomfortable spandex Starfleet Uniform featured in the first two seasons. The new two piece wool gabardine design would be used for the rest of the series and even inspire the now classic “The Picard Maneuver”. But Blackman’s design tenure did not end there. His work from the sewing room would ultimately span four movies and four television shows, with his wardrobe appearing in comics, video games and fan films.
For Star Trek: Enterprise, Blackman chose to design yet another jumpsuit for the NX-01 crew. But unlike his previous romper designs, this version was loaded with pockets, seams and zippers… lots and lots of zippers. It was unabashedly utilitarian, a clear departure from the smooth clean refined look of the 23rd and 24th centuries. It was the perfect bridge between the NASA flight suits of today and the velour “pajama top” uniform of The Original Series. Adding to the down and dirty Standard Duty Jumpsuit, Blackman also chose to create custom variants for use in specific situations. He included field jackets, a dress uniform and gear for different climates. It was a new world, a new series, and a new line for Earth Starfleet’s runway.
The latest schematic gives a brief look into some of the more popular looks of the NX-01. It includes the much derided (but uber-sexy) Vulcan catsuit and the M.A.C.O. uniform. The ranks have also been thrown in for good measure. There are several briefly seen designs that I chose not to include in this schematic due to space, references available and importance. This includes the two piece jump suit variant, T’Pol’s drab brown jumpsuit from the first two seasons, and the Starfleet arctic wear. Be sure to let me know what you think!
We are almost at the end of our journey here. The next update will be for the Cut-away schematic… and that will be the end of it. Then it is onwards and upwards with the Companion. I have already been busy preparing.
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Inside The Enterprise Project 
As always fantastic work. Can’t wait for the crossection.
Comment by Richard April 16, 2011 @ 2:25 pmIs there a high-resolution version of the uniforms graphic? I can’t read the small print!
Comment by David Gottschalk February 28, 2012 @ 4:23 pmAll of the schematics can be viewed at their full resolution on The Enterprise Project website. The uniform schematic can be found on the Overview Page.
Comment by Bryant February 28, 2012 @ 6:58 pm