As a follow up to their collection celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Twin Peaks in 2020, London-based Milltag returns with a limited release cycling attire collection inspired by the otherworldly Red Room. Once again, I apply my archivist approach with a look at this damn fine collection and the press surrounding it.
NOTE – THIS COLLECTION IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE AS MILLTAG CLOSED
WHAT IS MILLTAG?
Ed Cowburn and Pete Kelsey formed Milltag in 2010 after being unable to find cycling jerseys that weren’t “boring, generic and uninspiring.” They started the company with limited edition jerseys and collaborations with renown designers. As demand grew during that first year, they expanded production to include custom kits and have since sold thousands of designs worldwide. Milltag’s lead designer is Sullivan Corde who I’m again assuming helped develop the new Red Room Collection.
In January 2023, Milltag entered voluntary liquidation and closed.
THE RED ROOM COLLECTION BY MILLTAG
The Red Room Collection was launched on February 26, 2021, two days after “Twin Peaks Day” on February 24 (and it just happens to be the same day I launched Twin Peaks Blog in 2018).
Here is how they described the collection:
mooR deR ehT ot emocleW. The extra-dimensional part of the Twin Peaks universe – The Red Room. A mysterious, infinite series of spaces found in the middle of the dense forest surrounding the town of Twin Peaks marked by its lush velvet curtains and zig zag floor.
Milltag has opted for elegant simplicity in design, much like The Red Room itself. The bold red contrasts with the seemingly endless white and black zig zag pattern. It’s a striking, unique look that will appeal to any cyclist with an eye for style.
This product was available for pre-order until 28th March 2021 with delivery mid-May 2021
Director Ed Cowburn penned a blog article for their site on February 25 that explained why Milltag collaborated again with Showtime.
We released our first collaboration with the iconic 90s show Twin Peaks last summer. The collection dreamed up what a Twin Peaks Cycling Club kit would look like, featuring key locations from the series and incorporating design details based on the fictional town. It was such a success, tapping into a devout worldwide fanbase, that we’ve teamed up again.
This year’s collection was inspired by the key visuals of red velvet curtains and zig zag floor from The Red Room. Designers removed as many logos as possible, making this the definitive “if you know you know” piece of cycling kit. Ed continued:
We absolutely loved working on our first Twin Peaks collab last year. We were itching to get started on a second, looking for other areas of inspiration from the show. Red Room was a great opportunity to dive even deeper into the vivid world the show created and touch on another level of fandom. It’s on the one hand a slightly more niche reference but on the other, a stripped back, elegant design that works on its own terms.
There are eight items currently available for pre-order. Prices are listed in Pounds. Originally, the pre-order was set to end on March 26, but it was extended until March 28.
TWIN PEAKS JERSEYS BY MILLTAG
The Club fit, short-sleeve Red Room Jersey had three rear pockets with a hidden zipped valuables pocket. Reflective strips are found under the pockets.
A similar jersey was also available for women and includes pockets and reflective strips similar to the Red Room Jersey’s cut.
Here is a look at the fronts and backs of the two jerseys.
Additional looks at the Red Room Jerseys. I love the Owl Cave symbol that’s opposite the Milltag logo.
The jersey had an anti-bacterial and active wicking Carbonmesh, and the lightweight Stretchfit short sleeves offer increased aerodynamics. This means you can get to the White Lodge faster.
TWIN PEAKS PRO BIB SHORTS BY MILLTAG
Milltag also had Pro Bib Shorts for both Women and Men. Made of Elastane compression fabric, the bibs contain a top of the range Pro Pad. They also have deep mesh “Power Cuffs” with integrated silicone grippers and black body-netting bib braces.
Fronts and backs of the Red Room Pro Bib shorts.
Closer look at the body-netting bib braces.
The shorts portion of the Pro Bib Shorts by Milltag.
THE RED ROOM CAP BY MILLTAG
The 3-panel cycling cap contained nods to the Red Room on both the top and underside brim. It’s 100% Polyester and one size fits all.
I love the hidden Owl Cave symbol under the brim.
THE RED ROOM MITTS AND SOCKS BY MILLTAG
The 100% Polyester cycling mitts contained multi-leather pads and integrated finger pulls.
The moisture-wicking, Jacquard knitted socks were made from 100% Sensura Yarn. They are something new for this collection that wasn’t found in last year’s 30th Anniversary assortment.
Additional looks at the Red Room mitts and socks.
THE RED ROOM SNOOD BY MILLTAG
The final item in The Red Room collection is a Snood that’s complete with a little Owl Cave symbol.
On a side note, I’m really curious if either of these models are fans of the show.
PUBLICITY SHOTS FOR THE RED ROOM COLLECTION
Milltag produced a number of publicity shots showcasing the Red Room Collection. They were used on social media channels and their website.
Full-body views of both the female and male models.
A third model sporting a bike helmet and sunglasses was used for several exterior shots.
Nice touch having him stand against a red colored wall.
Same model. Just add a bike.
TWIN PEAKS BY MILLTAG – THE RED ROOM COLLECTION MARKETING
Here is a summary of the marketing done for this collection. In addition to their website, Milltag used their official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The official Showtime accounts posted twice about the collection.
There were four short videos Milltag created for use on their social channels. I combined all of them into this 47-second video for the Twin Peaks Blog YouTube Channel.
TWIN PEAKS BY MILLTAG – THE RED ROOM COLLECTION – FEB. 22, 2021 – TV TEASE
On February 22, 2021, Milltag published a short teaser video announcing a new collection themed to The Red Room would be released on “26.02.21” (the European way of writing dates).
Versions of this teaser video were also shared on Instagram and Twitter.
TWIN PEAKS BY MILLTAG – THE RED ROOM COLLECTION – FEB. 25, 2021
Additional teaser video posts were made on February 25 indicating the release would happen midday.
TWIN PEAKS BY MILLTAG – THE RED ROOM COLLECTION – FEB. 26, 2021 – LAUNCH DAY
The official announcement and a first look at the new Red Room collection was made on February 26.
Like the teaser post on February 22, similar posts were also made on Milltag’s Instagram and Twitter accounts.
The official Twin Peaks on Showtime Twitter account also shared the news on February 26.
TWIN PEAKS BY MILLTAG – THE RED ROOM COLLECTION – FEB. 27, 2021 – VIDEO
Another video post was made on February 27. This time, the Little Man from Another Place is seen dancing over an image of the Red Room Jersey.
TWIN PEAKS BY MILLTAG – THE RED ROOM COLLECTION – FEB. 28, 2021 –
On the final day of February 2021, Milltag made another post featuring the model on the bicycle against a red wall.
I love the use of the red, white and black dots for their tweet.
TWIN PEAKS BY MILLTAG – THE RED ROOM COLLECTION – MAR. 4 AND 6, 2021
Two additional posts were made on March 4 and March 6 via the Milltag Instagram account.
TWIN PEAKS BY MILLTAG – THE RED ROOM COLLECTION – MAR. 8, 2021
March 8 saw another push of content to the three social media channels. This time, Milltag featured the Pro Sport Bib Shorts.
TWIN PEAKS BY MILLTAG – THE RED ROOM COLLECTION – MAR. 16, 2021 – VIDEO
The Twin Peaks On Showtime account made a second post about this collection on their Facebook page.
Milltag basically re-posted the Showtime post using the fourth video asset on the same day.
TWIN PEAKS BY MILLTAG – THE RED ROOM COLLECTION – MAR. 17, 2021
The same video posted on March 16 would be shared again on St. Patrick’s Day via the Milltag accounts.
TWIN PEAKS BY MILLTAG – THE RED ROOM COLLECTION – MAR. 23, 2021 – T-MINUS ONE WEEK
Final social posts were made on March 23, 2021 indicating one week was left for the pre-sale (granted this date was moved at the last minute from March 26 to March 28).
TWIN PEAKS BY MILLTAG – THE RED ROOM COLLECTION – MAR. 27, 2021 – FINAL PUSH
Milltag made one final push for pre-sales on March 27, 2021.
