Forthcoming Kingsman Menswear Line “On Steroids” for ‘The King’s Man’

With the third film in English director Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman series due out in February, upscale men’s online retailer Mr Porter will debut its third installment of its parallel Kingsman menswear line: the 255-piece collection set to land in two stages before the movie’s release. Vaughn’s The King’s Man tacks back in time to the origins of the fictional British secret service during World War I, with a cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander and Harris Dickinson.

Similarly, the first part of the new Kingsman “costume to collection” will be somewhat of an origin story in itself as it refreshes the luxuriously tailored style created by Mr Porter in collaboration with Vaughn in 2015 with the Kingsman: The Secret Service. The new assortment is once again developed with notable ongoing brand partners, including Turnbull & Asser for shirting, Cutler & Gross for eyewear, George Cleverley for footwear and Corgi and William Lockie for knitwear.

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Accessories include Drake’s ties and pocket squares, London Undercover umbrellas, Deakin & Francis cufflinks, Lock & Co. hatters; and desk accessories by Smythson of Bond Street. Additionally, the retailer will introduce two new partner brands with limited editions of both a Jaeger-LeCoultre timepiece and a Montblanc writing instrument.

Sam Kershaw, buying manager for Mr Porter, attributes the ongoing appeal of the Kingsman label to its high level of craftsmanship. “It’s been a very exciting partnership with Matthew Vaughn right from the first film,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter over the phone from London. “While we always planned to do subsequent collections, we didn’t expect the immediate success of it becoming an established brand on its own. And one of the reasons was that the first film was rooted in the idea of specialists. We chose our partners because we believed they were the best in their fields.”

While the overall collection stays true to the aesthetic of the original movie, each new film allows an opportunity to add in a new aspect, Kershaw says. In 2017’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle, the addition of an American intelligence crew brought a more casual streetwear-athletic vibe. Following up on that, Kershaw says that the first drop in December will be “a continuation of the brand on ‘steroids.’ I don’t just mean bigger and wider, it’s luxury taken to the next level,” from sumptuous suiting to cashmere tracksuits. 

In January, in the run-up to the movie’s release Feb. 14 from 20th Century Fox, the second part of the new collection will hew closely to the inspiration of the WWI-era film, making especially good use of the roster of Mr Porter’s co-branders since many of them date back more than a hundred years. 

“Because it’s a period piece and has a military theme, that part of the collection is really quite masculine,” Kershaw says. “It seems to be really well timed, because a lot of the silhouettes and ideas, by complete coincidence, are like what we are seeing on the catwalks right now for men.”

The original Kingsman line was developed in conjunction with Kingsman’s initial costume designer Arianne Phillips, and now the baton has been passed to The King’s Man costumer Michele Clapton. “Her attention to detail is quite mind-blowing,” Kershaw notes. “We’re going to pay homage to that period, but I also think the clothing is very accessible.”