If you’re a big Star Wars fan and hate being cold, Columbia Sportswear has created a jacket you may want to find under your Christmas tree.
In 1979, the cast and crew of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back filmed the legendary Battle of Hoth in an ice-cold Norwegian forest. The original jackets the crew members wore to stave off sub-zero temperatures and blizzard conditions are rare and highly prized by collectors. One sold at auction in 2017 for $8,000. But you’re in luck: Columbia Sportswear has recreated the winter gear for Star Wars enthusiasts with a new, limited-edition Empire Crew Parka (and it’s much less expensive).
Purposed for extreme winter weather, the bright blue parkas were designed in conjunction with Lucasfilm Ltd. They feature shoulder stripes to increase visibility in whiteout conditions, a Darth Vader chest patch, Star Wars logos, and a customizable nameplate, which can be personalized with embroidery or a marker. The jacket’s lining even has the coordinates of the Hardangerjøkulen Glacier in Norway where the bone-chilling scenes were filmed.
The small group of tenacious cast and crew members spent several weeks at the glacier near the town of Finse to film the legendary battle scene between Rebel snowspeeders and Imperial AT-AT walkers on the remote ice world Hoth. The Star Wars cast and crew braved incredibly frigid conditions and required clothing that could protect them from the glacial temperatures.
Less than 100 of the original jackets were created by Norwegian designer Per Frølich Poppe, but hardly any are left. The Columbia parkas are the next best thing.
Columbia’s limited-edition parka features waterproof, breathable fabric that is insulated with thermal-reflective lining. The faux-fur trimmed hood is removable. The unisex-style jackets will be available on ColumbiaSportswear.ca/StarWars starting at 12:01 a.m. EST on Dec. 7 for $649.99 CAD. They are expected to sell out pretty quickly.
A few U.S. stores will have parkas signed by Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker. Fans can purchase them for $1980 USD, and proceeds will be given to charity.
