The teenagers of ‘Sterling Point’ mix Chanel, Brandy Melville and vintage

Rainy days call for soapy, angst-filled dramas, and with Prime Video’s new series Sterling Point, we may have found our winner. This coming-of-age original drama written and created by Megan Park (the name behind the Aubrey Plaza starrer My Old Ass) follows 17-year-old New Yorker Annie Jacobson (played by the gorgeous Ella Rubin), who, along with her twin brother Connor (Keen Ruffalo), inherits their estranged grandfather’s island, Sterling Point, on Canada’s Lake Muskoka. They arrive on the island over the summer, only to unspool decades of family secrets—including the discovery of Ramona, a younger sister they never knew they had.

I tore through all the eight episodes—it has all the hallmarks of a good watch. A love triangle, the nostalgia of youth and summer days, and a family with a closet packed with skeletons. And then there is the wardrobe, especially Annie’s, which through the series evolves from an uptight New Yorker with polished, urban separates to a young woman realising her truths, mirrored in the hand-me-downs and vintage pieces she discovers in her late mother’s wardrobe.

Marissa Schwartz, the show’s costume designer, reveals she used elevated basics from brands like Leset, Cou Cou, Still Here, and Sea NY alongside vintage and thrifted pieces and a whole lot of Chanel to create the authentic, lived-in wardrobes for teenagers from different backgrounds. “I hope the show encourages people to look at what’s already around them—to embrace vintage, reuse existing pieces, and create wardrobes that feel personal rather than trend-driven,” she says. In an exclusive interview with The Nod, she tells us how she dressed Annie and the other teenagers of Sterling Point.

Annie’s style feels very elevated and polished. What was on your moodboard for her?

Annie’s character was inspired by teenage girls in New York. The starting point came from candid street-style photography. She grew up in the city, which informs every choice she makes. She mixes elevated basics with heritage luxury brands in a way that feels creative and personal. From an emotional standpoint, Annie takes on a lot of responsibility and sees herself as more mature than her peers, and we wanted that to come through in her wardrobe—almost as though she’s already a 20-something with a high-profile office job.

We incorporated several New York staples, including Still Here, for her denim, alongside elevated basics from Flore Flore, Gil Rodriguez, and Paloma Wool. Pieces like her Frye boots, a Chloé cashmere sweater, and the handmade yellow tennis skirt she wears in episode three helped define her personality. And of course, we couldn’t ignore the classic teenage shopping destinations like Brandy Melville and Urban Outfitters, because, at the end of the day, she is still a teenage girl.

Early in the series, she wears a lot of striped looks. Was that deliberate?

Good catch! As we moved through the fittings, I started noticing certain visual motifs emerging naturally. Stripes became one of those recurring cues into Annie’s internal world. You could say they reflect her very linear way of thinking—her sense of structure, responsibility, and the expectations she places on herself.

For one of her first visits to Lake Muskoka, she’s in a Peter Pan-collar blouse and Mary Janes. It was very Upper East Side-coded...

It definitely nods to prep, particularly with the Peter Pan collar, but more than anything it represents the actual pieces Annie would have packed from home. She’s clearly an over-packer—bringing two suitcases and an entire skincare routine—as she doesn’t really understand how rugged cottage living can be. Seeing her struggle in the canoe in episode two wearing that delicate blouse creates such a great visual contrast.

As the season progresses, Annie begins pairing her own wardrobe with pieces she discovers at the cottage—Ramona’s clothes, her mom’s things, and vintage finds she might have thrifted locally. It was so rewarding to create a wardrobe that visibly reflects her growing connection to Muskoka. What I love is that the transition never feels abrupt. She never stops being New York Annie—we keep key pieces like her Frye boots right through to the finale. By the end, her style is every bit as fashionable but much more relaxed than when we first meet her.

We need to talk about the black-and-white dress in episode two. It was made for Annie.

The dress! This was one of those magical costume moments where we didn’t need to look at a single alternative once Ella tried it on. We had built a relationship with Chanel and had already selected several pieces for her closet. While we were talking with them, I mentioned the scene where Annie borrows a dress from Rory’s (Daniel Quinn-Toye) house that belonged to his mom, Denise (Missi Pyle). I wanted something long and elegant that felt believable for Denise and shared my inspiration. They came back with several options, including the black-and-white lace dress. The moment I saw it, I knew it was the one. It was also only a couple of seasons old—spring/summer 2023—which I loved because it made perfect sense that Denise would have forgotten it was tucked away in her closet. 

That’s not the only strong Chanel association. Annie also wears the watch, the ballet flats…

Chanel felt like the perfect heritage luxury brand for Annie. Her watch, ballet flats, and sunglasses are the kinds of timeless pieces she might have received as meaningful gifts from her dad. One of my favourite choices was her blue suede Chanel 22 hobo bag. It felt like a little glimpse into Annie’s personal taste—slightly unexpected and a bit removed from the obvious Chanel classics.

Ramona and Oona (Bo Bragason) contrast Annie both in personality, background, and of course fashion. What was your starting point for them?

Ramona’s wardrobe was designed to feel understated, practical, and lived-in. We wanted it to reflect someone who’s fiercely independent and has been taking care of herself for a long time. Everything feels thrifted, functional, and true to someone who’s grown up in Muskoka.

Oona sits at the opposite end of the spectrum. She’s a free spirit and a maximalist who isn’t afraid to experiment. I wanted her humour to come through in her clothing, particularly through graphic T-shirts with dry, unexpected slogans. Her wardrobe feels like it has been collected over years of travelling with her mom and landing in different places.

And then there are the boys, which I know for you were fun to style.

Dressing them was an absolute joy, particularly because we got to establish such a clear distinction between the local kids and the summer residents. Rory and Connor wear a mix of luxury and high-end streetwear, including Bode, Maison Margiela, Alexander McQueen, Chrome Hearts, SAINT Mxxxxxx, and Jacques Marie Mage.

Ellis (Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie) couldn’t have looked better in his sun-faded T-shirts, Carhartt and Air Force 1s—everything perfectly worn-in and authentic to him. And I can’t forget Sully (Nikko Angelo Hinayo). It was such a joy to dress a dynamic non-binary character who moves through the world with effortless confidence, sass, and playfulness.

Is there one look that sums up Annie’s journey for you?

There are so many looks I love, but one of my favourites is Annie’s final look: a brown wool sweater paired with her Sea NY embroidered shorts and rain boots. It was one of the first outfits we camera-tested during prep, and I always knew Annie would end the season there. I used it almost as a compass while building the rest of her wardrobe throughout the prep.

The sweater had actually come from unused stock another costume designer was clearing out from a previous show. The moment I pulled it out from the bag, it almost felt like it chose me. I always joke that clothes speak to me, but in this case I genuinely had an immediate instinct about it. Months later, we put Goldie, Annie’s mom, for the dream sequence in episode eight, in that same sweater. The following day, Annie wakes up and instinctively reaches for it for comfort. I loved making the sweater a piece that belonged to her mom, and that it had been reused and given a second life.

Sterling Point is now streaming on Prime Video