The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is now streaming on Netflixand fans are completely immersed as Eleven and her friends prepare for one last battle to save Hawkins from Vecna’s grasp.
As viewers examine every detail of the latest chapter, series costume designer Amy Parris and head of hair department Sarah Hindsgaul recently spoke with Us every week to unpack some of the visual Easter eggs woven throughout the first installment’s season, including a particularly complex look related to Max, played by Sadie Sink.
Parris began by revealing that designing Max’s appearance while trapped in Vecna’s mind proved to be her biggest challenge of the season.
“I think the hardest part [look to design] for me, in season five, it was Max in that cave,” she shared, referring to Sadie Sink’s character.
According to the designer, the outfit was intentionally loaded with meaning.
“The look of the cave was a mixture of many different pieces that she found,” Parris explained.
“A story to understand [is] where she came from and what she found between what we don’t see as a viewer, knowing that she’s been searching Henry’s mind for a long time.
Parris added that Max’s wardrobe reflects fragments of the people she meets while looking through Henry Creel’s memories.
She said it should look mismatched but purposeful “like it’s a boy’s shirt on a woman’s blouse with a guy’s jeans and maybe Joyce’s boots.” [Winona Ryder].”
Before wrapping up, the designer teased a subtle callback hidden in Max’s shoes.
“The boots are actually very similar to the ones Joyce wears. [in] this very fast-paced scene from the 1950s,” Parris noted.
“It could have been his boots, right?”
