A Limited Edition Collection Designed in Collaboration with Catherine Martin
Brooks Brothers has released a limited-edition menswear collection inspired by the costumes in Baz Luhrmann’s film “The Great Gatsby.” The collaborative effort, unprecedented among past Brooks Brothers partnerships in its depth and scale, consists of formalwear and daywear, including tuxedos, tailored suits, suiting separates (sport coats, waist coats, and trousers), shirts, ties, shoes, and accessories.
Refined and colorful, the collection channels the dreamlike world of pristine green lawns and lavish parties depicted in the original 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It takes direct inspiration from the creations of the new film’s Oscar-winning costume designer, Catherine Martin, many of which were based on 1920s items in the Brooks Brothers archive.
“Brooks Brothers is mentioned numerous times in Fitzgerald’s writings as a representation of the ultimate gentleman’s purveyor of fine clothing to the American man of distinction. It is this most basic and fundamental connection that has made our collaboration so authentic.” – Catherine Martin
Working from Martin’s designs for the production’s male principal, secondary and background cast, Brooks Brothers manufactured more than 500 ensembles for the film. Brooks Brothers has now adapted Ms. Martin’s strikingly theatrical, period-inspired costumes for the film into contemporary-clean modern menswear pieces. “It is a reflection of the immediacy and modernity of Fitzgerald’s work that the clothes in this movie based on his work can find a modern reinterpretation in this new Brooks Brothers collection,” stated Martin. The result is an exciting blend of classic sartorialism and Jazz Age flamboyance.
Most pieces are inspired directly by looks worn by Jay Gatsby – the mysterious, romantic, self-made millionaire, played in the film by Leonardo DiCaprio – and narrator Nick Carraway, played by Tobey Maguire. The costumes have been modified for the collection so they are at once clearly inspired by the era but entirely wearable today. Modifications include using lighter fabrics than the heavier weights worn on camera, which were selected by Martin to achieve period authenticity.
Whether due to their significance to the “Gatsby” story or to their sheer élan, several signature pieces stand out in the Brooks Brothers “The Great Gatsby” collection. One is the pink suit, a symbol in Fitzgerald’s novel of all that remains naïve and fresh about Gatsby despite his outsize wealth and glory. Also notable for its period flair is the shawl cardigan worn in the film by Nick, in vintage bottle green with white and red piping, and a bowtie, worn by Gatsby during key sequences, that is ingeniously designed to show a contrasting white outline when knotted. This contrasting aesthetic, a hallmark of youthful ’20s-era menswear, is evident not only in such tipping details, but also in the bold white panels on the penny loafers and brown wingtips included the collection. A third shoe, a white buck, rounds out the footwear offerings. All three are made in England by Brooks Brothers’ in-house shoe label, Peal & Co.
Sewn into all pieces in this worldwide collection are labels featuring the film’s Art Deco- inspired “The Great Gatsby” title treatment and a ’20s-era Brooks Brothers logo taken from company archives.
The selection of formal looks and accessories includes five bowties – three black, two white – all of which have been produced using archival fabrics. One batwing bowtie features a subtle, Deco-inspired geometric pattern. The collection includes a matching waistcoat; the range of waistcoat and bowtie offerings are another nod to the savvy exuberance that characterized upper – class male dressing in the ‘Gatsby‘ era, and the dapper dress shirts – five total, including one tuxedo shirt – reflect the period’s diversity of shirt collars, including a pin collar and rounded “golf” collar.
As is evident in the 18 necktie offerings, this bold collection eschews the pastels that arrive predictably with the majority of spring menswear. Moreover, items such as a herringbone waistcoat challenge staid, or at least contemporary, notions of seasonality in menswear. There is also a beech wood walking stick, based on the one the character Jay Gatsby carries in the film – and as many upward-moving young men did in the period.
Additionally, the collection includes two boater hats and two regatta blazers—iconic elements of the jaunty, sporting Ivy League style that Fitzgerald (a Princeton graduate) described at loving length in some of his other works. This Ivy League look, which has been so closely associated with the brand since its origins in the Fitzgerald Era, has long been considered one of the world’s most appealing and enduring dress styles.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Of the collaboration, Claudio Del Vecchio, Brooks Brothers Chairman & CEO, has said, “Catherine Martin’s costumes have brought F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby to life. She has not only redefined the menswear of the Roaring Twenties on screen, but she has also partnered with us to produce a collection our customers around the world are sure to appreciate. We are proud to be a part of this unique project and to have had the opportunity to work with such a visionary team.”
The collection is now available in Brooks Brothers stores around the world, in advance of the film’s UK release on May 17, 2013.
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