Actor, dancer, and writer Sarah Reasons sat down with us in July to talk about her screenplay and debut young adult dystopian novel The Crest. In a sci-fi world where mind powers and a powerful Society of ruling Families are the norm, 16-year-old James Dunlan has questions and she will make it her mission to find out what is really going on in her family’s elite social circle. The novel comes out at the end of this month, but Sarah has also started preparing the pilot of her eight-episode series to pitch to networks and her background in fashion is a key part of bringing her characters to life.
Sarah recently graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in fashion. “I am really passionate about styling and celebrity styling, so that’s something I would like to eventually get into as well,” she shared. She shared that chasing this interest as a career came out of needing something with longevity. “My mom has always said this to me. You always want something to fall back on because dance and acting will not always be there.” Sticking to the arts and entertainment industry fashion was the perfect fit.
Beyond runways and red carpet looks, Sarah loves the personal impact style can have and how it drives the way we understand characters on TV and in film. “The clothes you wear really influence the character you’re trying to play,” she told us. “Your clothes are how you define yourself. Even before you introduce yourself, your clothing, what you’re wearing says a lot about you.” For Sarah, fashion isn’t just how a character looks. It’s how they act and it moves the story forward, “stepping into their mind.” She loves dissecting the outfits in whatever she’s watching. Sex and the City is one of her favorite examples of a well-styled cast (especially Carrie’s looks)!
The Crest, Sarah’s eight-episode screenplay and its novelization were also influenced by this relationship between character building and fashion. The Crest follows 16-year-old James Dunlan as she digs into the secrets of the Families ruling her home, Mercer Island. Based on the real-world Mercer Island, Washington, the fashion of this world can be broken into two main categories, the wealthy Mercer Island and the more casual Fall City aesthetic. “Within Mercer Island, it is a very wealthy community, so even the most casual outfits are very glamorous and class,” Sarah explained. “In contrast to that, Fall City is a very small town where what you are wearing doesn’t matter, and showing off wealth is not a part of the town’s culture.”
While Sarah and James are very alike, they have different styles. “James’ style could best be described as modern preppy,” Sarah said. Living with the elite Families on Mercer Island, James has something to prove with her fashion. Sarah lives in Arizona! “I think if I lived in a colder place, maybe I would dress more similar to her!” Sarah’s describes her current style as “kind of cool, laidback, but also classic, timeless pieces that I can wear, you know. I’ll look back 30 years from now, and I’m not like ‘Oh my gosh, that looks so ugly. Why did I wear that?'”
To build out James’ look and personality along with the rest of her characters, Sarah used mood boards that influenced their character and her sizzle reel for the show she is in the process of pitching to networks. These mood boards go beyond fashion to include other things that influence their personality like favorite foods, music, and activities. “I remember creating mood boards for all of the characters and getting that to come to life and bringing out different personalities in different characters,” Sarah told us. “It’s just super awesome because I was like ‘She’d definitely wear that’ or ‘She would not wear that.’ That was super fun for me.”
An Inside Look at The Styles of The Crest
Check out Sarah’s breakdown of the main character’s styles!
James
- Our protagonist
- Style: Modern Preppy
- Loves pleated skirts and knits
Gabrielle
- James’ best friend
- Style: Femme Fatale Bombshell
- Always wearing heels and loves a skin-tight mini-dress moment
Isaac
- James’ boyfriend
- Style: Athleisure all the way
- Chooses comfort over anything else
- Hoodies and tennis are his day-to-day attire
The Crest is out now from Amazon and Barnes & Noble!