Everything
“The whole ‘Kingsman’ brand was inspired by the fact that when I was a kid, I loved movies, and I was heavily influenced by what I saw,” Matthew Vaughn, Director of The King’s Man tells ICON in a global exclusive for Mr Porter. “For example, Risky Business: I remember loving the Wayfarers that Tom Cruise wore, and I got a pair of them immediately. Another movie that stood out for me was American Gigolo – I’d never heard of Giorgio Armani until I saw the credits. That day forward, I never forgot.”
As the lauded filmmaker makes point to, style has been a storied tradition in some of the biggest box office hits across the globe. The floor length, leather coats of The Matrix; John Travolta’s flared white suit from Saturday Night Fever; a myriad of feathers and jewels encrusted on looks from Rocketman. But as we anticipate the long-awaited release of The King’s Man in February 2021, spotlight has fallen on its curated costuming and timeless tailoring.
“I think what’s great about men’s tailoring, and more specifically the suit, is that it’s remained quite consistent throughout the ages – it’s anchored in craft, cut and quality.” Vaughn continues, “Personally I love a high cut double-breasted suit – it comes across as so traditional, it’s almost cooler, less ‘establishment’.”
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Vaughn’s fascination with the suit has been emulated in the forthcoming film, the third instalment and prequel origin story of the famed franchise. One man must race against time to stop history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds as they get together to plot a war that could wipe out millions of people and destroy humanity. There was only one person suited to the mammoth role of dressing the cast with such innate detail: Michele Clapton, best known for her work on Game of Thrones. Tasked with reflecting era-style suiting and vibrant visuals for the audience, Clapton exclusively tells ICON of the challenges in finding “a delicate balance of portraying historical accuracy while evoking the style and cool of the Kingsman tradition.”
“For ‘The King’s Man’, we explored 1910’s dress codes, designing luxurious tailoring, military-wear and casualwear that represents the way of dress for men from 100 years ago, but with a ‘hey, that looks fresh contemporary spin,” the costume designer explains.
“Given that the story is about the naissance world of Kingsman during the First World War, we took special consideration to accurately reflect the style of the 1910s. I was particularly drawn to British military wares – the pilot jackets, oxford coats, beautiful leathers – and wanted the characters to embody that historic look. Conrad, for example, played by Harris Dickinson, wears this amazing oiled linen jacket, which was inspired by the original biking shape from the 1910’s. Three-piece suits are also quite prevalent and are worn by the likes of Conrad and The Duke of Oxford (Ralph Fiennes), among others.”
In the lead up to its anticipated release, Vaughn and Clapton have worked closely with luxury e-tailer, Mr Porter, for an extensive collection of looks made available to film and style fans alike. September 9, 2020, marks the third drop of the collaborative effort with the full collection encompassing 170 pieces.
Many of the original Kingsman categories and partner brands feature within the collection, including: Kingsman original tailoring and knitwear; Turnbull & Asser shirting; Cutler & Gross eyewear; George Cleverley shoes; Drake’s ties and pocket squares; London Undercover umbrellas; Deakin & Francis cufflinks and small accessories; Corgi socks; William Lockie knitwear; Lock & Co. Hatters; Higgs & Crick glassware and desk accessories by Smythson of Bond Street. Additionally, MR PORTER will debut new products and partner brands including a writing instrument from Montblanc and a limited- edition timepiece from Jaeger-LeCoultre.
“The root philosophy behind the Kingsman collection was to make beautiful, wearable clothes that mirror the style and elegance of the characters on screen,” Vaughn says of the collaboration. “For ‘The King’s Man’, the costumes complement our heroes and add another layer of style and tone to the film. The bonus: you can literally emulate the style and seek our contemporary interpretations of the costumes in the Kingsman collection on Mr Porter.”
To view the latest season of Kingsman on Mr Porter alongside original ‘costume to collection’ core pieces, visit here.
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