The movie will be released theatrically across the globe this week. Image courtesy of Dunhill/Claudette Barius/Focus Features British menswear label Dunhill is solidifying its connections to Hollywood.
For the brand’s latest collaboration, it worked closely with the production team of the upcoming espionage spy thriller Black Bag, due out in theaters on March 14. Creative director Simon Holloway personally crafted costumes for the film’s cast, which includes several luxury staples, including Michael Fassbender, Tom Burke, Regé-Jean Page and Pierce Brosnan.
A view to kill
Directed by legendary American filmmaker Steven Soderberg, Black Bag follows a British intelligence operative, played by Mr. Fassbender, who is forced to choose between fulfilling his duties as a husband or as a government agent after his wife, played by Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett, is implicated in a treasonous plot.
Focus Features and Universal Pictures present Black Bag
The film is the latest crafted in the long-running creative partnership between Mr. Soderberg and American screenwriter David Koepp, who has written some of the highest-grossing theatrical releases of all time, including Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible and Spider-Man, among many others.
Together with Dunhill, the team presents a refined vision of the United Kingdom’s intelligence community.
When making outfits for Black Bag, Mr. Holloway worked closely with costume designer Ellen Mirojnick, best known for her work on Wall Street, Oppenheimer and The Greatest Showman. The duo created looks that would closely tie into the personas of each character and the roles they play in the greater narrative, with restraint, sophistication and intense authoritative control serving as guiding themes.
The outfits draw upon classical Hollywood elegance and archival influences. Image courtesy of Dunhill/Claudette Barius/Focus Features
Each costume was custom-crafted for the actors with Dunhill’s Made-to-Measure service, with the maison tailoring jackets, knitwear, shirts, trousers, silk ties and pocket squares for the male cast.
Hollywood connections
The new collaboration is said to reinforce the house’s commitment to film (see story), which will be further solidified with more creative partnerships planned to be announced in the coming months as additional cinematic releases hit theaters.
With Black Bag, Dunhill continues a trend of luxury brands contributing to projects targetted specifically at film-loving adults rather than a general audience.
High-end car companies are popular choices for cinematic industry crossovers. Image courtesy of Dunhill/Claudette Barius/Focus Features
Earlier this year, German automaker Porsche platformed its all-electric Taycan Turbo sports car in the R-rated heist film Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, with the vehicle becoming the first EV in Hollywood history to feature prominently in a high-speed chase sequence (see story).
Soon after, South Korean automaker Genesis announced its partnership with NBCUniversal’s new series “Suits LA,” with its cars being used by the main characters’ law firm in each episode (see story).
However, other entities are embracing mass-market entertainment in the hopes of greater reach, with department store chain Bloomingdale’s working with Universal Pictures’ Wicked for its winter campaign (see story).