Picture Credits: Getty Images / Netflxi
The Gentlemen oozes with style. From creator Guy Ritchie, the mob rarely looks this fine. Costume designer Loulou Bontemps helps paint a charismatic ensemble with not only class and style but purpose. There are heaps of entertainment value in watching Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario) and Eddie Horniman (Theo James) dominate their environments with flair.
The costumes are weapons in The Gentlemen.
Characters charm, disarm, or dissuade with appearances. The costumes create a dramatic duality of glamor and bloodshed as characters assume their roles in the mobland animal kingdom. Bontemps always has the characters dressing their part, playing the role they desire to play in Ritchie’s criminal sandbox.
Recently, from the set of season 3, Bontemps told What’s on Netflix about creating the classy and dangerous eye candy in The Gentlemen.
Between seasons one and two, were you thinking of Susie Glass and these characters like, “Oh, what can I do with them next?”
Yeah, absolutely. I think we all needed to elevate everything a little bit for season two in comparison to season one, mainly because it’s fast-forwarded a year. Everyone’s very comfortable in their environments, including Eddie. It was important to have consistency there, as well as elevating it a little bit.
Susie is working in a slightly new field in season two, so she’s making a lot more cash. We express that through her wardrobe, whereas Eddie is very comfortable being the gentleman gangster that he has become. He’s consistently dressed appropriately for each situation and looking very dapper.
Susie goes on the rise with the cocaine business. What brands or styles were in your mind, like, “All right, she’s making this much money. This is who or what she’s going to start buying”?
For Susie, it’s not really about the brands. It’s more about the style. I definitely wanted to get some authentic diamonds there. We do have this incredible brand that was very generous to loan her some diamonds, so she’s just completely dripping in these authentic diamonds. Lots of beautiful watches, too.
It’s not necessarily about one particular brand or one particular item of clothing or a watch or a bag. It’s about the fact that she has so many. Every time you see Susie, she’s in a completely new outfit because she can afford to be. She has a never-ending wardrobe.
Whereas Eddie, he’s got this huge collection now of absolutely wonderful watches, but it’s all about his tailoring that shows off really how wealthy he is in his world now, as well as using beautiful brands like Ralph Lauren and Brunello Cucinelli, Velasca. We were spoiled a lot more on season two than we were in season one with these brands.
Picture Credit: Netflix
With Susie, she states she simply enjoys nice things, but it is her battle armor, her uniform, right?
Absolutely. I think even more so in season two. There are so many different occasions for everybody to go to. Everyone gets to play dress-up sometimes, but you can really see in season two how intentional Susie’s looks are.
She is getting dressed for battle, in a sense, meaning she’s dressing for that moment to say something, whether it’s at the pre-wedding party or the wedding itself or any environment where she needs to maybe be a little bit stronger or a little bit more vulnerable. She definitely echoes that through what she’s wearing in each moment.
Cinematographer Stephen Murphy loved filming Susie when she was sporting sunglasses at night, at the airport where she takes care of a betrayer. It’s so ‘80s, especially her shades. Where did they come from? She’s almost pop art there.
Aren’t they fantastic? She’s so big on her sunglasses, but a huge part of her wardrobe, I’d say about 50% of it, is vintage. In season two and now going into season three, I really try to find rare pieces. I love the idea that people can attempt to recreate Susie’s wardrobe, but it is essentially completely unique to her. To me, that is a real London attitude. I like that there’s only one Susie wearing those magnificent sunglasses. She’s got the best assortment of sunglasses and handbags as well. I noticed a lot of people were paying attention to her handbags.
You seem to draw from these different time periods in style, but how do you make it all feel so coherent and timeless?
I’m like, “What are we trying to say here? Which period? Where are we? Are we contemporary or are we two years ago?” I don’t want to be pinpointed to any particular decade or period. I want it to be timeless. That’s where the challenge comes in, especially when you’re buying something completely identifiable to the ’90s or the ’80s. By mixing those different decades of fashion together, you’re creating a look that is completely unique to the show.
Picture Credit: Netflix
To your point about timelessness, it’s interesting because one year something’s timeless, the next year maybe it’s not. Is it hard to pinpoint?
I don’t follow fashion, and neither does Guy. It’s all about style. I think something that Guy and I have become very good at together, and I’m really following his lead, is making sure that each of these characters is making their own style statement in a way that he doesn’t want people talking about the brands that everyone’s wearing. He wants them talking about these characters and who they are.
But the problem is he’s created such an incredible show with so many brilliant characters and brilliant actors that are so completely different, you can’t help but notice the costumes. So, I think it’s about putting together a look that is stylistically true to that character as best as possible.
Working with a director like Guy Ritchie, he doesn’t make it difficult for you. It’s this incredible world of brilliant characters that allows people like me to have a lot of fun and create something cool.
Let’s talk about Vinnie Jones, because he looks beautiful on the show. There’s a warmth to him, his costumes. How do you want to show his tender side?
I know Vinnie. He wouldn’t like to be called beautiful. Tough, rugged. [Laughs] No, Vinnie’s fantastic. When I first worked with him on season one, he has an estate and he lives in that world. He educated me a lot on how people would dress in that environment because I hadn’t grown up in it at all.
When you are working with OGs like Vinnie Jones and Ray Winstone, there’s only so much control I can have. They’re very much like, “No, Loulou, I’m not wearing that,” or, “No, that’s really nice. Thank you.” So it’s quite fun working with these challenging gents.
With Vinnie, he’s such a gentleman. He’s one of the most alpha men I have ever met. Very opinionated, very knowledgeable, but incredibly soft and kind. I think that comes down to the character Geoff with him on camera. He’s truly a great human as well as a great actor.
I mean, look at his life. He’s just had such an incredible life.
Picture Credit: Netflix
Something costume designers often say is, if the costume is wearing the actor and not the other way around, that’s not a good thing. Theo James is very much wearing these costumes. In the fittings, what do you both talk about in terms of how to command a costume?
For me, when I’m in those fittings with the actor, especially when it’s the first fitting, they come in and… Theo James is not Eddie Horniman at all. He’s an absolute sweetheart in real life, and Eddie Horniman is actually quite an awful man.
But when he comes to the fitting and we put these suits on, he starts standing differently and holding his head up differently. That’s what’s brilliant about our fittings, having those moments where the actors are getting into character.
Especially Susie Glass. Kaya walks in, she puts those heels on, she grabs her handbag, and she’s immediately standing in a completely different pose. That’s when you know you’ve found your character, when the actor’s feeling really happy and comfortable and has morphed into somebody else in front of your eyes.
Cary Grant was an influence for Giancarlo Esposito, right? How much do you draw from classic movie stars and classic gentlemen?
Most of my inspiration is from proper old classic movies and art books and paintings and fashion history rather than any contemporary fashion magazines or anything like that.
I saw this incredible photo of Cary Grant sitting in some bougie shopping mall buying watches. I just completely recreated that whole look for Giancarlo with the jumper over his shoulders. He looked incredible, but it was just like, “I don’t need to do anything here. Look at this incredible reference.” It’s so cool.
Uncle Stan is supposed to be this little bit of Hollywood glam, breaking all the rules and trying to break his way into British society. Between me, Guy, and Giancarlo, we got a lot of inspiration from old-school Hollywood actors. That was great. I love that you spotted that. I love those kinds of moments.
Picture Credit: Netflix
Like you said, you draw so much from art, paintings, outside influences, style. What goes into the melting pot of The Gentlemen? Who are some painters or photographers?
I don’t think there’s anyone in particular. Like we were talking about earlier, about it being timeless, there’s no sort of consistency with one particular painter or fashion brand or anything like that.
It’s about losing yourself in that research and finding iconic moments. For me, it’s about finding these moments, whether it’s through paintings or photos, whether they’re from the ’20s or yesterday, finding interesting humans in an interesting moment. Then doing something fabulous, creating your own backstory to it, and putting your lead actors into those looks.
There’s no particular pinpoint to one thing. It’s definitely deep, deep research and creating something unique to the show for each character.
Almost like filling the well, and then you can draw from it when the time comes.
Absolutely. That’s a wonderful way to put it. I think it’s like I’ll have pictures all over my walls of just something that jumps out at me, and I’ll bring them onto my boards when I’m ready. But then we’ll be shooting the seventh episode, and I’ll be like, “Oh my God, yeah, that image I saw. Oh my God, let’s bring that in.” It’s just finding things that jump out at you. They may not make sense at that moment in time, but they’ll come to you later on while you’re still working on the project, and you’ll bring it to life.