HISTORY IN THE MAKING

We uncover the incredible clothing secrets behind the world’s best-dressed spies

When Kingsman: The Secret Service was released in 2014, no one could have predicted the success Matthew Vaughn’s campy-espionage thriller would have. An over-the-top aesthetic highlighted by some of the most impressive action sequences ever filmed helped to chart a new course for modern filmmaking, one that took cues from the past and built on them in bold, new ways. Sure, a league of gentlemen spies fighting villainous caricatures in tailored double-breasted suits was nothing new, but Kingsman had a certain self-awareness that cut through the noise. With nods to the heyday of British tailoring capital Saville Row, the first two films in the Kingsman franchise sported a characteristically late 60s vibe, in further reference to a certain 00 agent that sprung up around the time. But with The King’s Man, the prequel, Vaughn has gone in a completely different direction. A different era and a complex story require a decidedly more powerful wardrobe, and The King’s Man called on British film royalty to deliver. For the latest installment in the gentleman spy series, Vaughn tapped Emmy Award winning costume designer Michele Clapton to handle the reins. Famed for her work on the hit HBO series Game of Thrones, Clapton is responsible for kitting out the first generation of Kingsman in their armour. In a chat with Grazia, she tells us why establishing a visual narrative is important.