In addition to Hugh Hefner, Supreme Leader Snoke also took a cue from Liberace when choosing the robe’s color, and he’s not the first to favor gold for his villainous attire.
The Hugh Hefner look is also a strong contrast to Emperor Palpatine, whose Sith attire reflected how he worked in the shadows.
This Hugh Hefner vibe, though, will require Snoke to be extra scary and imposing because at first glance, he’s just a scarred, ugly old dude in a bathrobe.
We have heard that Snoke is not a Sith, so this aesthetic is another way to visually differentiate him from the villains that came before.