It’s not every day you get to design custom suits for superheroes on the big screen, but that’s exactly what the Michael Andrews Bespoke team has been up to lately.
If you’re a Marvel fanatic or a film buff, you may have spent much of your summer eagerly anticipating the August 2017 premier of The Defenders, Netflix’s original TV series based on the classic comics. Well, so have we. That’s because all three superhero leads are sporting MAB throughout the show’s inaugural season and graced the red carpet at the NYC premier on July 31 in some of our custom pieces.
We love a good superhero almost as much as we love crafting one-of-a-kind bespoke suits, so our team was thrilled to be part of a project like this. Allow us to share a few more details about some of the pieces with you:
CHARLIE COX
Charlie Cox – aka Daredevil – made a splash on the red carpet with a two-piece suit made of grey hopsack wool from the renowned Italian textile mill, Vitale Barberis Canonico (VBC). The texture of this suit may look bulletproof, but it’s an unexpectedly breathable choice, as the basket-like weave of hopsack allows for optimal air flow while holding structure beautifully.
This somewhat casual choice of fabric is complimented by top-stitch finishing, which can be seen on the suit’s patch pockets and notch lapels. To combat New York’s steamy summer weather, we chose to use a lighter canvassing construction, making the garment breezy and lightweight. After all, a true superhero never gets hot under the collar.
MIKE COLTER
Actor Mike Colter, who plays Luke Cage, is just as larger-than-life off the screen than he is on it. He’s a big guy and a true gentleman. To that end, we wanted to create a look that would stand up to his proportions, so we used broad, four-inch lapels and a ticket pocket with straight flap pockets to break up his height.
Colter’s stylist, Rebecca Raleigh, was inspired by the emerald hues that have been making their way into menswear collections of the moment as well as the bygone era of sartorial splendor. To highlight this, we featured a contrast banker collar and cuffs on Colter’s shirt. The suit’s striking green cloth is from Scabal’s New Deluxe and the Bengal stripe shirt is from Thomas Mason. We love the way all the elements of Colter’s suit come together to create a look that’s both masculine and elegant.
FINN JONES
Finn Jones – aka Iron Fist – looked sleek and polished on the red carpet. His stylist, Ashley Pruitt, knew exactly what she wanted the rising star to wear, so we created a custom suit featuring black, minimally-textured cloth from VBC with a minimalist design, tailored razor sharp.
You’ll notice the jetted besom pockets, single-button front and a covered placket on his shirt, all details that fall in line with a look that’s simple and chic. At Michael Andrews Bespoke, however, we’re all about one-of-a-kind details, so if you look closely, you’ll notice that the jacket’s front button is made from natural horn, with a marbled, tortoiseshell design, while the sleeves’ buttons feature a traditional dark horn. Subtle flourishes like this make for truly individualized garments with the subtle signature of sartorial artistry.
As you might imagine, playing a superhero on-screen can have some superhuman requirements in the real world and we were delighted to be selected to help Marvel’s ubiquitous good guys look the part.
Working closely with the show’s costume designers, we were also able to create on-screen looks uniquely tailored to each character. Check out the inaugural season to see some of our work in action.
