
Bruce Wayne in Giorgio Armani in The Dark Knight.
Fashion's Dark Knight
Giorgio Armani wardrobes Christian Bale exclusively for role as Bruce Wayne
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
(NEW YORK) Giorgio Armani has added another to notch to a stellar lineup of film collaborations. He will wardrobe Christian Bale for his role as Bruce Wayne in director Christopher Nolan's highly-anticipated action drama,
The Dark Knight.
The Warner Brothers movie, which premieres in New York on July 15, also stars Heath Ledger in his final role before his untimely death.
For the production, Armani partnered with acclaimed costume designer Lindy Hemming, who won an Academy Award for her costume designs for
Topsy-Turvy. "As a Giorgio Armani Hand Made-to-Measure client, Bruce Wayne is demonstrating his status as a discriminating and sophisticated connoisseur of fine fashion, while also showing he has individual taste," said Armani. "It is also fitting that I should be dressing a superhero this year, as I am pleased to have chaired the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibition,
Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy, last May."
As Batman's alter ego Bruce Wayne, Bale wears Giorgio Armani Hand Made-to-Measure throughout the film. A still from the movie featuring Wayne in a suit from this collection is the visual for a world-wide Armani advertising campaign coinciding with the release. Wayne's wardrobe includes single-breasted, three-button suits, single-breasted tuxedos and black wool coats, each featuring the traditional customized owner's label--in this case, Giorgio Armani for Bruce Wayne.
Said Hemming, "For the character Bruce Wayne, Chris Nolan and I wanted an expensively elegant tailored look to contrast with his Batman persona. We felt that the Giorgio Armani brand was emblematic of the contemporary classic look that I hoped to create. I think Christian looks edgy and cool, and I feel that their tailoring beautifully realized our vision."
Armani pioneered the designer presence in film costuming by dressing Richard Gere in 1980's
American Gigolo. Since then, many films have incorporated designs by Armani, including
Shaft,
Primal Fear,
The Untouchables,
Gattaca,
Stealing Beauty,
Double Jeopardy,
The Tuxedo,
De-Lovely,
A Good Year and
Ocean's Thirteen.
JIM SHI
FWD