Top Gun: Maverick opened in May 2022, marking a return of the classic American popcorn blockbuster, best enjoyed on the biggest screen possible. The return of this iconic character calls for equally cool merch for the team who made the film possible.

So how does Hollywood come up with those really cool custom promo items? PPAI sat down with Troy Jones, vice president of California-based supplier Stellar Imports (PPAI 473762, S4), and Ashley Carlson, senior account executive with SLANT LA Promotions, an L.A.-based branding and merchandising agency that specializes in promotional and retail products for movies and television, to learn how they worked together to design and deliver a suite of special gear for the cast and crew of Top Gun: Maverick.

APPROACHING THE RUNWAY

When Carlson’s client at Paramount came to her with this project, she knew Jones could help her make it happen. Because Top Gun is such an iconic movie and brand, the client knew that people were going to love apparel that reflected the movie’s look and feel – but she didn’t want something that anyone could just go grab at a store.

“She definitely wanted something more custom, and knowing that we had time on this, I got together with Troy to see what we could do to make it more of a statement piece than something that we are grabbing and then putting a logo on,” said Carlson.

She knew her client was looking for something unique for the bomber jacket – the anchor piece of the collection – so Carlson approached Jones with samples and features the client liked. They discussed what elements the client liked or didn’t like, and she asked Jones what his overseas producers could do to create an entirely custom garment.

In particular, the client wanted a specific military green for the jacket – a color that simply wasn’t available among the existing fabrics and jackets in the market.

“What was available wasn’t coming close to what the client wanted, so we knew that we were going to have to custom dye the fabrics to the Pantone colors that Paramount wanted,” says Jones. “We knew that we were going to have to make a pattern and custom cut and sew this jacket to get the sleeve pockets and zippers, the insides, the types of quilting and things like that.”

It was a long process, says Jones, in part because it took some time to find the exact green the client wanted and dye the fabric – but also because COVID hit in the midst of the process, delaying the release of the movie (in addition to creating havoc in the overseas supply chain).

READY FOR TAKEOFF

But the jacket itself was produced quickly once all the elements were in place.

“Ashley and I worked together to get the jacket sampled and approved well before the client ever placed the order,” says Jones, “and then after COVID kind of let up, then we pulled the trigger on production. I think it was three weeks from start to finish once the initial sample was submitted to Ashley and approved by Paramount. Once it was approved and the COVID wave came off and we understood exactly when her client was going to release the film, from start to finish we produced this jacket in 35 days.”

military green Top Gun custom bomber jacket

That process included a number of decorative details, from the special sleeve pockets to the custom matching zipper to meticulously embroidered patches and logos. The challenge was finding decorators with the most up-to-date machines that could produce clean designs without visible threads connecting letters and other different elements of the pattern.

“That’s a big pet peeve, especially when it comes to embroidery,” says Jones, “so we make sure that we’re working with factories that have the up-to-date machinery to be able to make the cleanest embroidery possible.”

The first run of jackets was distributed to cast, crew and marketing partners in 20 countries. A distribution partner out of Hong Kong facilitated quick delivery by collecting the finished goods on site, taking them to their own warehouse and then packing and distributing the items.

“From a cost standpoint, it makes a lot more sense than trying to import the goods back into the United States and then turn around and then send them back out,” says Jones.

FLYING HIGH

Carlson says some of the cast and crew initially expressed skepticism, having only seen the jacket and other items online.

“At first, I don’t think they wanted the jacket,” she says, “but then they saw it in person and they’re like, ‘We need to do another order – we love that. Where can we get that?’ So that was really awesome, especially coming from people who worked on a film, who stylized the film, all that.”

The finished jacket was so on point that some people even thought it had come from the actual costume design department, which Carlson says “was really awesome to hear.”

Paramount quickly placed a second order for more of the jackets, as well as other items in the collection, which included baseball caps, insignia pins and a custom vegan leather duffel bag.

blue gray camouflage Top Gun custom vegan leather duffel bag

“As far as merchandise goes that we built as a company, I use that item more than I’ve used any item in my entire career,” says Jones. “I absolutely love that bag – the functionality of it, the look of it. It’s definitely one of my favorite items that we’ve made with Ashley.”

The design process for the duffel was similar to that of the jacket, where Carlson brought different elements the client liked and asked Jones to find a manufacturer who could synthesize them.

“It’s really almost like Frankenstein – a bunch of things into one to create one bag,” she says.

Just like in the film, choosing the right wingman is a critical part of the process. Carlson says her success is thanks in large part to the relationships she has built with clients and Jones, as well as established relationships with carefully vetted overseas suppliers and decorators. Jones adds that product safety is part of the deal and that he and Carlson take care to make sure that they are working with suppliers who are audited and approved annually.

“Our clients really trust me and Troy because they know they’re going to get what they see online when they order,” says Carlson. “They have a lot of trust in that, and then we have a lot of trust in our factories. Troy has great relationships with his factories overseas that get us what we want.”

navy blue Top Gun custom cap