Kingsman: The Secret Service launches in the UK in February. There are several nice things about this. Sections of it are set in Huntsman, on Savile Row. The clothing is all supplied by British brands (and nearly all made in the UK): George Cleverley shoes, Turnbull & Asser shirts, Drake’s ties, Swaine Adeney cases, Cutler & Gross glasses.
And it brings spy thrillers back to the kind of sharp, serious clothing we love. In fact, if there’s one thing I like about it most, it is that the lead actors all had bespoke shoes (and largely suits) made. Film doesn’t normally work to the timescales or budgets of bespoke clothing, but this time it did.
Pictured, some of the shoes made by Cleverley for the stars. And in the trailer below, you can see Colin Firth’s in a moment a knife pops out of the toe. Apparently it is ‘sick’. [If the trailer doesn’t appear, try refreshing this page.]
There will be a branded ‘Kingsman’ range of clothing on Mr Porter from January, including designs from all those makers mentioned above. Look out for a Cleverley competition on its instagram account (@gjcleverley) that month too, to win tickets to the premier.
Simon, it’s great to hear about a modern film with well-dressed actors in it!
All the most influential films (clothes-wise) are from different eras to our own. Why? We are still capable of making fantastic clothes today. Sadly, that’s ignored by film-makers.
We all need some glamour and escapism in our lives. Not just big dumb cars-and-guns action films. Film-makers tend to forget that.
Tom Ford do your thing!
I’m really looking forward to this film. It must have the highest clothing budget ever.
The cloths in the trailer are amazing. Wonderful windowpanes for Caine. I went through a second time in slo-mo just to check them.
But in the shot of the toe-knife at 0:42, no one seems to have hemmed Colin Firth’s trousers!
Hmmm…
I don’t want to speak out of turn, but high clothing budgets are all well and good but clothes do need the woman / or man to set them off I’m afraid.
I saw the trailer and some chavvy (ostentatiously so) kid is not really going to bring much to a Huntsman suit. Might as well stick him a nice poly-blend Hugo Boss suit and let him leave the ‘Hugo Boss’ label stitched on to his end of right cuff.
Before anyone accuses of of snobbery, I am proudly working class myself. I just don’t like the idea of celebrating chavvy people who can’t speak properly. You really can’t make a silk purse out of sow’s ear.
As to Tom Ford mentioned by Mac, his designs are great, but the same thing is happening there with his label. Ostentatious rappers wearing his stuff, rapping about his stuff and ostentatiously so. Really might as well stick to wearing Tommy Hilfiger etc if you are going to wear a thick gold chain over it.
🙂
That’s part of the underlying message in the comic the film is based on – class is what you do not how you’re born. Hopefully that will come out when we see the full film.
J, I totally agree with you! I mentioned Tom Ford as he’s an Oscar-nominated film-maker and has undoubtedly made some very stylish menswear in the past.
His clothes for Skyfall were absolutely appalling, however. What a wasted opportunity.
A stylish director needn’t be a fashion designer though. Someone step up to the plate!
@ J – I absolutely love that rappers wearing clothes by Tom Ford rubs you the wrong way and long may it continue to do so. The fact you mention Tommy Hilfiger (and associate it with rappers) proves just how out of touch you are; you DO know hip-hop had moved on from that brand about 15 years ago right? I don’t accuse you of snobbery but you are definitely a little ignorant of what is considered trendy by rappers today in my opinion…
As to the film, I shall definitely be watching this at the cinema – its tongue is firmly in its cheek and I like many of the actors in it so I’m sure I will enjoy them and the clothes they’re in!
Guest, I consider it a plus to know nothing of Hip Hop. It’s a crude form of music, made for uneducated people who wear cheap nylon sportswear. Or worse – white middle-class ‘hipsters’. Bling, ho’s and ‘songs’ made up of other peoples’ music. Surely that’s the very antithisis of style and elegance? What’s to like?
Done badly hip hop is all of those things. Done well it stands up with any other art form. Lyrical, expressive poetry. To quote Scroobius Pip ‘Guns, bitches and bling were never part of the 4 elements and never will be’.
And isn’t all art (And style) derivative?
Scroobius Pip? Rapper of choice to the public school-educated. Less successful in Tottenham and Brixton. Lyrical and poetic? Try reading Keats. He’s could give Scroobius a run for his money.
I don’t have your knowledge of what is popular in the clubs of Tottenham and Brixton. I rarely get to London these days.
I’m still happy to enjoy both Keats, and Pip. Despite my comprehensive school education.
@ Mac – What’s to like about a naive, close-minded person? Your ignorance is quite astounding but not surprising. Bling? Ho’s? Songs made up of other people’s music? You seriously believe this is what hiphop is made up of? To write off an entire genre of music (and culture) based on outdated prejudicial (and simply wrong) views makes YOU the uneducated one – an irony not lost on me or others on here I suspect. Thankfully, the prevalence and popularity of the genre shows that your opinion counts for very little.
Personally, I enjoy listening Guru as much as I enjoy visiting the Royal Festival Hall to listen to a Prokofiev symphony. I also enjoy wearing a bespoke Savile Row suit as much as I enjoy a white t-shit, trainers and jeans. Tell me, does this make me uneducated?
I consider it a plus to keep an open mind…
Guest, you give your views rather aggressively. It’s wasted on me. According to your philosophy, popularity equals quality. So, therefore, Top Shop is better than, say Chittleborough & Morgan? That’s what you’re saying! You also call 90% of the country ignorant and uneducated for not liking Hip Hop.
I’m a musician myself. I love black music. Some of the greatest musicians across all genres have been black. However, black music has been decimated by Hip Hop. Kids, instead of learning how to play intruments and understand chords and melody, are only capable these days of making bleeps and beats. Hip Hop is suffocating all other black music forms. If Jay Z sells 50,000 singles that’s nice but it doesn’t reflect 60 million people in the Uk. Most people I know hate Hip Hop.
(Lest we forget why we’re here) I am grateful for any film with stylish clothes. However, if the film is heavy on Hip Hop then I’ll pass. To Catch A Thief still does it for me every time. Pink Panther. Fred Astaire films (wall-to-wall bespoke). I just wish someone would make a stylish film for the modern era.
Simon, if you allow people like ‘Guest’ to make strong personal attacks on anyone who simply disagrees with them, then this is not a blog that I’ll continue to visit. Read my comments – I do give my opinions but don’t personally attack my fellow readers. ‘Guest’ (who I do not know) accused me of being a bigoted, ignorant racist. ‘Guest’ was also unnecessarily strong in his comments to a fellow reader, ‘J’. I love a good debate and I love people who have opinions. If I, and many other people, don’t like Hip Hop, it does not make us nasty people. ‘Guest’ would obviously be happier if he moderated our comments, rather than you. Over and out.
Thanks Mac, point taken. I generally prefer to just let people vent. They generally look a lot sillier with a little exposure.
I ran a small part of the press/blogger event for the film (Focused on martial arts, not clothing) and it was a lot of fun. Sadly the suits they used for the promo were not of the quality shown in the film, which are excellent. I’m looking forward to seeing the clothing range from Mr Porter.
Good god that looks like a terrible film.
The best suit in a film ever? Cary Grant in North by Northwest – the suit deserved co-star billing. Though some debate that the suit used was made on The Row, for a sack design it was fluid and those dark chestnut shoes set it off just right.
So who made Firth’s DB suits in the trailer – Hunstman?
No, not Huntsman. It was a visiting English bespoke tailor. I’m just getting the name.
I re-read the comics the film is based on this week and there is quite an amusing scene where the protagonist is having his clothing chosen for him by his uncle/mentor. Amongst the standard advice about pattern, colour and the value of good shoes there is a dire threat of being publicly disowned for wearing a silk pocket square. It seems Simon isn’t the only one to dislike them.
I’m not offended by anything anyone says to me.
Nor does ‘guest’ doesn’t know what colour or background I am from. I could be a black guy from the ghettos of Brooklyn like jay z for all ‘guest’ knows. I could still dislike jay z and or hip hop, so it’s ludicrous to start calling people who don’t like Jay z’s form of music “prejudiced” or closed minded.
And yes, I stand by my point that Jay z could tarnish TOM ford’s reputation as a classy, high end brand in the same way Daniella Westbrook did with the infamous burberry head to toe outfit in the 90s.
Jay z quite clearly has no clue about clothing – he’s wearing TOM ford in the same way people wear monogrammed gucci or LV – to tell people he has money and for that reason only. Give him an Edward sexton or anderson and sheppard (upon which Tom fords work is based) and he wouldn’t be interested in wearing it, because they’re not a reference point ‘brand’ he can rap about to his adoring, unquestioning fans. Who could never afford Tom ford in any case. Jay z’s popularity in record sales means absolutely nothing to me I’m afraid. McDonald’s is the worlds biggest ‘restuarant’ and hm and Walmart, I guess, are probably the worlds biggest clothing retailers. I happily frequent none of the above.
Chavvy people are chavvy people no matter how much money they have, and no, colour has absolutely no bearing on this. Yawn….
I’d say if you’re in your late forties and still rapping about drug dealing and ‘the street’, you’re pretty chavvy.
hi ，friend，what make you think tom fords clothes work is based on edward sexton and anderson sheppard？
His style is influenced by the era when Edward was the driving force of bespoke style. And he was an Anderson & Sheppard customer and has said how much he admires the style
you said ‘’His style is influenced by the era when Edward was the driving force of bespoke style.‘’ the era when Edward was the driving force of bespoke style. the implication of you is Edward is not the driving force of bespoke style now？what time was Edward the driving force of bespoke style？60s to 70s？ ‘’And he was an Anderson & Sheppard customer and has said how much he admires the style‘’ you said the style how much tom ford admires is edwards style or andersonsheppards style？
No one could be said to be driving bespoke style on their own today.
Yes, Edward was most influential then.
Tom Ford has said how much he admires A&S style
But as far as I know，tomfords housestyle is very different from the AS tomfords housestyle is sexy and morden，but AS is good at soft drape cut Very similar to the cutting style of Neaples like kiton is not it？
Yes, that’s right. But there are some smaller elements in common, such as an extended shoulder
oh oh ，is this ah，your answer is so prefect and You are very professional Simon，and Where was fords style influenced by Edward during the era when Edward was the driving force of bespoke style？is Influence degree that fords was influenced by Edward very great？
He was not influenced by Edward directly. I’m afraid I’ll have to leave these questions there if that’s ok. I can’t reply to all of them, but I hope I have helped with your thoughts process. Simon
Excellent film! Love the clothes and wish I could afford these..a bit out of my price range.. A visit to Saville Row and Kingsman on line ,when visiting the City later this year, Would like the book, but can’t locate one at present. Keep hunting!
Hi Simon,
I have a question which I hope you can answer for me.
T&A strongly push that everything they sell is UK made. However James Fayed mentioned in an interview (actually about food) that they have factories in Portugal. This puzzled me so I keyed in T&A into Google, and Datalog site shows various company data including items imported by T&A from outside the EU.
The list included hankerchiefs, suits, shirts and blazers- you can look for yourself, if you doubt my veracity!!
Could you explain this please or at least find out the story.
Many thanks.
PS Your blog is terrific!
Thanks. A lot of things are made in the UK, but certainly not all.
They have their own shirt factory (post on that on PS) and tie factory, and are therefore one of the biggest owners of UK manufacturing among the brands we discuss. They also make a lot of suits with Cheshire Bespoke (but not all).
Thank you for the explanation- I had read articles where T&A had said that everything would always be made in the UK, so was somewhat confused. Thank you for clarifying.
I loved the movie, and not just for the shoes and clothes 😉
Yann