THE JOURNAL
The silver screen has long been a rich mine of sartorial inspiration, but it isn’t often that a cinematic clothing label makes the leap from celluloid reel to real life. In the case of Kingsman, the sartorial calling card of Hollywood’s most urbane secret agents, it’s been available exclusively on MR PORTER since the franchise made its debut in 2014 with Kingsman: The Secret Service.
Now, with the arrival of The King’s Man, the third instalment of the spy saga, we speak to Bafta Award-winning costumer Ms Michele Clapton about dressing its leading men, Messrs Ralph Fiennes and Harris Dickinson_._
Ms Clapton – whose style credits also include Game Of Thrones and The Crown – discusses her creative approach for designing a wardrobe that reflects the protagonists’ characters, while incorporating the craft disciplines of Savile Row and British casualwear, alongside the challenge of adapting period costumes for an action-based picture.
The King’s Man, a prequel to the two previous films, is set during the tumultuous years surrounding WWI. And while the Edwardian era might be perceived as rather stiff and starchy, the brief from director Mr Matthew Vaughn was not to slavishly imitate what had come before. “He was very concerned that it shouldn’t look too period,” says Clapton. “But at the same time, he didn’t want it to be wrong. It was a process over time, of finding where we could get something that was visibly period, but without necessarily being so authentic that it was intimidating.”
This meticulous process of tweaking the templates of the time resulted in a collection that is respectfully retrospective, without feeling old hat – an ideal that chimes with menswear’s current affinity for well-executed heritage-inspired pieces reconsidered to meet the demands of modern life.
Key pieces from The King’s Man, including suits, knitwear and accessories, will be available to shop exclusively on MR PORTER from 22 December 2021