Meet Suttirat Larlarb The Costume Designer Behind The New James Bond Film, No Time To Die

“Each day is a math drawback, an enormous fixed math drawback,” says Suttirat Larlarb. 

She is the Costume Designer for the newest James Bond movie, No Time to Die, set to open this weekend after an enormous delay in launch as a result of pandemic. Whereas 007’s seems are all the time a slick affair, to drag off the bespoke and tailor-made aesthetic for which James Bond is understood via the trials of an motion movie takes numerous calculations behind the scenes. 

“Lots of Daniel’s fits are required for unbelievable motion sequences, of which we want 33 plus multiples of the identical swimsuit with barely totally different sizing and technical necessities,” Larlarb explains. 

“We have now to account for stunt padding or harnesses, or for the stunt double and photograph double. Daniel has 12 to twenty of his personal which can be the identical however barely distressed for submit explosion, submit water, a bit little bit of blood, each form of injury you may think about which may must befall a swimsuit like that. But it surely all the time has to look completely tailor-made for him.”

Though it’s extra than simply the fittings for a movie like this, there are the heavy logistics to think about from manufacturing to supply. Take for instance the story of Bond’s tux within the movie. It was developed and slot in New York, after which 33 variations of them needed to be made, the manufacturing of which occurred within the north of Italy. Getting only one swimsuit to Jamaica the place the filming was going down concerned calculations, couriers and other people staying up late to obtain packages or getting on a flight in a single day to get the tuxes the place they wanted to be. 

“The quantity of arms that it handed via is kind of an fascinating story,” she laughs. “So it’s such that we’ve an unbelievable workforce of logisticians that make it occur.”

For Larlarb, this course of is helped by partnering with designers who’ve labored with the Bond franchise prior to now and who perceive that it’s greater than about ordering 10 of the identical factor. Which is why the style model or designer is much less related than the expertise and understanding the model might have in executing costuming for a movie like Bond. This goes in opposition to the notion audiences have in regards to the Bond franchise which identified to some extent for its trend and glamour. Audiences naturally consider there are a lot of high-fashion designers concerned within the costuming. 

“For me, the model involvement was all the time secondary to what the necessities of character and costume design had been. So if a model had historically labored with the Bond franchise prior to now, I might observe that and know that I may go to them to probably assist us produce what we would have liked,” the designer explains. 

One of many manufacturers Larlarb labored with intently for this movie is Tom Ford, who produced the tuxedo Bond wears within the movie together with a number of fits and denims. Ford had produced fits for the Bond franchise prior to now, so for Larlarb, between the model’s aesthetic and high quality mixed with Ford’s expertise in working with Bond movies prior, she felt assured that Ford and his workforce would have the technical data to assist her obtain her targets. 

Though, for the primary time, this explicit Bond movie is about far more than 007. This is among the most numerous Bond movies so far, which may be very particular to Larlarb due to the 4 very robust feminine protagonists.

There may be Monie Penny performed by Naomie Harris, the brand new character of Nomi performed by Lashana Lynch who’s MI6’s new greatest and brightest and in addition the primary black, feminine 007. There may be the high-profile psychologist known as Madeleine performed by Lea Seydoux (who’s a return character), and lastly, there may be Paloma performed by an Ana de Armas, a area agent for the CIA on her first mission. 

“Historically, one may say that many feminine characters prior to now, despite the fact that they’re iconic figures, could possibly be relegated to the realm of feeling a bit bit like wallpaper,” Larlarb says. “And these characters are completely not that in any respect. They’re robust, self-possessed, vital, plot-driving girls, all in their very own proper, and this was a very implausible alternative to have the ability to put a stamp on these sorts of feminine characters in a Bond movie.”

Whereas there have been robust feminine gamers on display screen, this Bond movie additionally had robust feminine gamers offscreen which set the stage for a brand new, extra supportive, dynamic for the costume designer throughout the course of.

“For this movie, I had a lot help from a powerful feminine producer and from Phoebe Waller Bridge who was a part of the script course of. This was so totally different from once I was a younger, aspiring designer of colour, the place I wasn’t seeing illustration, definitely on display screen and positively not throughout the ranks of the manufacturing course of,” Larlarb says. 

“So there was numerous constructive reinforcement and feminine awesomeness that was so current with this movie. It was so heartening to me to have the ability to, on this second, be the particular person charged with dressing these robust feminine leads.”

No Time to Die is in theaters nationwide this weekend.