On July 1, the last two episodes of stranger things Season 4 was streamed on Netflix. In the opening minutes of the finale, we check out Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce (Winona Ryder) as they try to escape Russia and get back to the kids fighting Vecna in Hawkins, Indiana. In an effort to warm up as much as possible, they stumble upon shipping crates full of popular American goods smuggled into the country that will become their wardrobe for the rest of the episode: Hulk Hogan yellow t-shirts , Moon Boots and bright blue ski jackets with red and blue chevron shoulder panels that look like they were straight out of a ski resort in the 80s. show, you can’t help but be drawn to the vibrant coats every time they’re on screen, even after they’re covered in dirt and grime from Hopper’s battles with the Demogorgons.
But the jackets weren’t vintage ’80s pieces from eBay or created by a major fashion house. The designer of the jackets in patriotic colors was Works from crescent to bottom, a small family business specializing in down outerwear that has operated in Seattle since 1974. Annie Michelson, production manager of Crescent Down Works whose mother founded the company, said costume designer Amy Parris initially contacted in 2020 with the opportunity. Although the brand had never produced items for a major TV series before, they were happy to be a part of it.
“stranger things is huge. I heard Amy Parris and she was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to post Crescent Down Works on Instagram.’ I watched stranger things‘ Instagram and I was like, ‘Oh my god, there are 20 million followers.’ I was both horrified and thrilled at the same time,” Michelson told Complex. “Amy was just lovely to work with and everything we came up with, they really liked. They were just a really easy-to-manage crew. We are super small. It’s just me, my shipper and 10 sewers. We just don’t have a huge capacity for a lot of big custom programs. We’re not a big fashion company, so I appreciated that they were so laid back and flexible.
Luckily for fans of the show, it looks like Crescent Down Works has decided to release a limited run of jackets. pre-order on their website following the answer of the final. The blue, white and red design is $875 and will ship in January 2023. Like all of the brand’s products, they will be made entirely in Seattle.
“That area really inspired my mom and those pieces,” says Michelson. “So that makes it a labor of love and it feels good to do it here. We’ll do that while we’re here.
We had the chance to sit down with Michelson via video chat for a rare interview to learn more about how the project for stranger things came together, collaborating with other brands like 3sixteen, why the company has been so successful in Japan throughout its history, and more. Check out the conversation below.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
