Joan Winston: Recollections and Tributes

All tribute pages can be reached by the table at the bottom of this page.

Part of A Companion in Zeor
Recollections, for inclusion, can be e-mailed to Karen MacLEOD
Additional posted tributes are linked through a table at the bottom of this page.

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I remember meeting Joan at my earliest Trek con (Jan. 1974). She was bright and funny and made everyone feel welcome whether you were a fan or a celebrity. She seemed to have a dozen projects going at once but always took the time to say hi to me and catch me up on the latest news.

I recently did an online interview about my early costumes and cons, and even though the interviewer is comic book oriented, I insisted on talking a little about my other costumes, and, in particular, Star Trek. Here's an excerpt from the interview that deals with Joan:

A Lady from Wrigley's Pleasure Planet (or LWPP or just 'A Lady' for short) was my first original design that won an award.  It was based very loosely on a mention of the planet in a Trek episode.  I made that one for the New York Star Trek Con in February 1975.  Very pretty and glamorous and yes, scandalous too. It was mentioned in Joan Winston's book, The Making of The Trek Conventions. I quote: "Most of the costume was on her head, lots of plumes, ribbons and beads.  The rest was some sort of panel arrangement fore and aft that displayed a lot of Angelique."

At that particular con, Joan was a masquerade judge which gave  her a unique perspective. Three of her fellow judges were Star Trek and movie costume designer, Bill Theiss, actor Robert Lansing and writer David Gerrold, of whom she wrote: "David should not have been there. He was running a fever even before Angelique Trouvere appeared in what there was of her costume." It's ok, Joan's a friend, really!

I also loved her bit that she added regarding the decision to award "Most Beautiful" to me. "The males on the panel, however, after they retrieved their eyeballs from across the room, decided on Angelique." Joan always had a great sense of humor.

Click on above photo to bring up a larger image

Excerpt from, Angelique, the Un-conventional ComiCon Costumer by Richard Arndt & Angelique Trouvere http://www.enjolrasworld.com

By the way, the costume that Joan preferred to mine was Connie Faddis’ "Kraith Pilgrim," and looking back with my many years as an experienced costumer, I must tell you Joan, that now I would’ve given Connie the prize, too.

I also remember how excited we all were when Joan told us that she was writing a book about the cons. She took us, her friends, on a fun-filled adventure of the life of the Trek cons both on and off stage and we loved her for that, too.

The thing about Joan is that she loves to share the fun!

For example, I had missed the first Future Fashion Show that Bill Theiss had put on at the Feb. 1975 Trek con in which he dressed Joan and other committee members in some of his gorgeous costumes from the show. He asked that Joan wear the gown he designed for Diana Muldaur from the episode, "In Truth, is there no Beauty?" because he knew that Joan would do his creation justice.

The following year, Joan made sure that I was available for his next show which consisted of manly of his designs from the two Roddenberry movies, "Genesis II" and "Planet Earth" but there was one Trek gown. It was the orange gown that France Nuyen wore as Elaan of Troyius and Theiss asked me to wear it! I don’t know what amazed me more: that I was actually wearing her gown or that it fit so incredibly well!

Thanks to Joan, I have that special memory and so many others that I’m always happy to share.

To Joan, with Love,

angee