Tom Hanks’ sweaters for Mister Rogers movie took 9 weeks to knit
Yasemin Esmek has fixed Adrienne Warren’s costumes in “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,” dressed Rockettes for Radio City’s “Christmas Spectacular” and altered Glenda Jackson’s suit in “King Lear.” But with “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” the new Tom Hanks film about the beloved public-television host Fred Rogers, her handiwork practically has a starring role.
Esmek knitted all the sweaters Hanks sports in the film: re-creations of Mr. Rogers’ signature zip-up cardigans, which he wore for every episode of his show, including the bright red version housed at the Smithsonian.
“I’m a big fan of Tom Hanks,” the Maplewood, NJ, resident tells The Post. “And knitting for a movie, it just sounded like so much fun. I knew I had to do it.”
Esmek, in her 50s, was altering calico dresses and aprons for Broadway’s 2018 revival of “Carousel” when she heard from costume designer Arjun Bhasin, who was looking for an expert knitter to take on Hanks’ sweaters for the Rogers film.
“It was of the utmost importance that Fred Rogers’ sweaters be hand-knit and duplicated perfectly,” Bhasin tells The Post. The cardigans have become inseparable from the TV host’s persona, a symbol of his humility and down-to-earth sensibility. They had zippers instead of buttons — making them easier to take on and off — and were hand-knit by Rogers’ mother, who would give her son a new variation every Christmas. Rogers wore them until they were almost threadbare, and in later years, after his mother’s death, his crew finally found a suitable substitute for his mom’s originals, from the company that supplied the sweaters for the US Postal Service.
“Yasemin’s artistry is undeniable,” he adds. “I’m so happy to have been able to collaborate with her.”
Esmek grew up in Hanover, Germany, and learned how to knit in first grade.
She studied knitwear design at Manhattan’s Fashion Institute of Technology — where she met her husband, a fashion production manager — and even had her own line of woolens that she sold at Barneys in the early 1990s.
Esmek took a break in the 2000s to raise her children — one’s now a biologist, the other is studying shoe design at FIT, and both knit — but began working in costume shops as a tailor. Six years ago, Esmek took a job altering fashions at the Metropolitan Opera, eventually landing gigs at the New York City Ballet as well as several Broadway shows.
She wasn’t very familiar with Mr. Rogers before she began knitting those cardigans. “My kids watched a little bit, but they’re almost a little too young for it,” she says. So she had to do a lot of research, studying photos and watching the 2018 documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
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NOOOOOOOO ......... juar got an AC Moore store 5 minutes from my house & their coupons are SO good .... the Michaels store up the road is somewhat inconvenient. Maybe they’ll move that Michaels out to the ACM location near me?? (Fingers crossed!). I buy 95% of my yarn from ACM.
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Arts and crafts retailer A.C. Moore is shutting down, Michaels taking over some stores
https://www.fastcompany.com/90436496/arts-and-crafts-retailer-a-c-moore-is-shutting-down-michaels-taking-over-some-stores?partner=feedburner
Arts and crafts retailer A.C. Moore has announced it is closing all of its 145 stores. The A.C. More chain is owned by Nicole Crafts, which is closing down the 34-year-old chain because it is exiting retail sales due to the “headwinds facing many retailers” today. Some good news for A.C. Moore customers, however, is that arts and crafts retail giant Michaels has announced they will take over 40 of the A.C. Moore locations, keeping those stores open under the Michaels brand.
In a press release, Michaels CEO Mark Cosby said, “This transaction enables us to further expand our presence in strategic markets and serve even more customers both online and in store. We are looking forward to reopening these stores under the Michaels name in 2020 and welcoming new team members.”
In the same release Anthony Piperno, CEO of A.C. Moore, said, “For over 30 years, our stores have been servicing the creative community with a vast selection of art and craft materials, with one common focus, the customer. Unfortunately, given the headwinds facing many retailers in today’s environment, it made it very difficult for us to operate and compete on a national level.”
As of now, A.C. Moore has stopped taking orders on its online site, but previously placed orders will ship to customers. A.C. Moore also says specific store locations that are closing for good (i.e., not transitioning to a Michaels) will be listed on its website in the coming weeks. A.C. Moore has more than 5,000 employees across its 145 stores, corporate offices, and distribution centers.