1. Why did you decide to create a Mad Max jacket this time around?
Almost a year ago, we were first approached by Mad Max fans encouraging us to do it. Some fans provided us with detailed information on the jacket itself while others canvassed online for fan approval and support. We connected with the fan community through their websites and our own, and we clearly saw the amazing amount of interest for this design!
Once we knew that people were excited about this jacket, we had to do our own research to see if it was actually viable for us to produce it. The more we studied the design, the more we liked its clear appeal to Mad Max fans along with its more general appeal as a classic motorcycle jacket.
2. Would you consider this to be easier or harder than your previous designs?
This design was actually a bit easier than some of our previous works. Most of our jackets have been long trench coats with more pattern pieces to put together for the final design. The fact that the Mad Max is a shorter jacket makes it less complex.
3. How did you make sure the jacket was screen-accurate?
Basically, we studied the entire movie, along with all the screen-caps and pictures that we could get our hands on! We had lots of help from fans who would send us these amazing screen-caps from the movie that we would use for our design. If there were any questions we couldn’t answer, we would go right to the hardcore fans who had already thought through those design details that were giving us trouble.
4. What makes the Mad Max jacket different from your average motorcycle jacket?
We did look at other leather jackets for comparison purposes; mostly to make sure our jacket would be durable enough for everyday wear. The most obvious difference is the shoulder caps! That is definitely not something you see on the everyday jacket, but it’s really what distinguishes the Mad Max jacket. The other big difference is the vintage 70’s style that the Mad Max jacket conveys. The collars and lapels on modern motorcycle jackets just aren’t as bold as Mad Max’s.
5. What is the jacket itself made of?
The jacket is made of 100% cowhide leather. Other types of leather (like horsehide) are durable but much too stiff and hard to break in. Our cowhide leather is rugged but comfortable to wear.
6. How about those shoulder caps?
We originally planned to have the shoulder caps made of leather, but fan requests changed our design. To make the jacket look as screen-accurate as possible, we had to agree with the fans who told us that hard plastic was the way to go. Again, the fans proved themselves to be the experts. The shoulder caps are riveted onto the jacket just like in the movie.
7. Did you run into any particularly tough design challenges along the way?
We didn’t run into any challenges as such, but there were some revisions that had to be made in the design process that are normal when making any jacket. After the first design, the collar had to be revised just because of the way necklines react to each other when making a coat. Two opposite curves have to come together to make the collar, so the first attempt is always just a test. The collar is one of the most important elements that distinguish this jacket, so we had to make sure it looked perfect!
8. You’re offering Mad Max’s gloves and badges on your site as well. How did you go about replicating these items?
It worked really the same way as with the jacket: the movie itself is always our guide. Fans supported us all the way with great screen-caps and advice that we used to complete our designs.
As you may have noticed on our site, AbbyShot doesn’t always offer accessories for the garments we sell. But for this particular jacket, the accessories really complete the look for fans. Mad Max’s jacket is just not the same without the badges for most fans of the movie. As for the gloves, that vintage style of Australian motocross glove isn’t for sale in any part of the world, so fans really wanted us to make it available again. It was clear to us that these gloves were just as important as the badges to make the Mad Max look complete.
9. Do you have any plans for other Mad Max products in the future?
For now, we are focusing our attention on our jacket from the original Mad Max to see how it is received by fans. If this release is a big success, the other Mad Max movies could certainly inspire more design ideas. As always, fan input is one the major factors we consider when planning upcoming products.
10. What has been the response so far from Mad Max fans?
The response to the Mad Max jacket has been amazingly positive – our first order came in 20 minutes after we made our pre-release announcement! People seem very appreciative of the fact that we communicated with fans as much as possible during the development of this product. Now that the jacket has been released, we are still eager to answer any questions that people might have.
For more information, please check out:
www.abbyshot.com/products/ps-mad-max-jacket.php.
