Turnbull & Asser revisits James Bond’s ‘Casino Royale’ wardrobe for 20th anniversary

Marking the 20th anniversary of ‘Casino Royale’, the James Bond film starring Daniel Craig as 007, Turnbull & Asser has launched a new eveningwear collection developed by Creative Director Roberto Menichetti that puts a different spin on it.

Turnbull & Asser’s relationship with James Bond dates back to his screen beginnings. Ahead of ‘Dr. No’ in 1962, the very first Bond film, Director Terence Young turned to the Turnbull & Asser team on London’s Jermyn Street to create bespoke shirts for Sean Connery’s screen debut as Bond.

Royal Warrant shirtmaker Turnbull & Asser subsequently went on to supply shirts, ties and accessories for Bond films including ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’, ‘The World Is Not Enough’, ‘Die Another Day’ and then ‘Casino Royale’.

Rather than recreating the black tie look of the 2006 film, Menichetti researched original garments, documents, photographs and film references to consider the proportions, fabrics and construction that have defined 007’s approach to evening dress over the years.

The all-new ‘Casino Royale Collection’, inspired by more than six decades of Turnbull & Asser dressing James Bond, consists of a 10-piece eveningwear wardrobe that is officially licensed by the Bond franchise.

At the centre of the collection is a single-breasted midnight blue velvet dinner jacket with silk satin shawl lapels, pocket trims and covered buttons, paired with fine wool evening trousers featuring a silk satin side stripe.

The white cotton dress shirt, made in England in keeping with Turnbull & Asser tradition, features a uniquely pleated front bib, conceived as a subtle reference to the house’s signature double stripe, while midnight blue silk satin accessories complete the look, with a bow tie and cummerbund accompanied by braces and socks.

There’s also three distinctive silk pocket squares that “draw directly upon the visual language of ‘Casino Royale’”. Playing cards reference the game at the centre of the film, including Bond’s winning straight flush against Le Chiffre, while the crown and laurel introduce symbols of victory and achievement. Designed to reveal different details depending on the fold of each pocket square, they bring the world of the film into the finishing touches of the evening wardrobe.

Together, the 10 pieces form a complete expression of evening dress, balancing the traditions of black tie with a softer, more natural approach to construction and movement.

Menichetti said: “It must be unmistakably Bond and unmistakably Turnbull & Asser, but at the same time it must feel entirely natural to wear today. This is the balance that really interests me: modernising whilst respecting the archive without becoming nostalgic about it.”

The Turnbull & Asser ‘Casino Royale Collection’ launches today, 2 October, and will be available worldwide in Turnbull & Asser stores and on the brand’s website.

Feature image is courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.