Assouline The Classics Collection: James Bond Style

From sharp suits and cult watches to glamorous gowns and scene-stealing bathing suits, James Bond Style explores the timeless fashion in all twenty-five Bond movies, not only of 007 himself throughout the eras, but also his nemeses, love interests, and colleagues. Academy-Award-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming, who worked on five Bond films, wrote the book’s text and captions, in addition to contributing to creative direction and photo selection. The book also includes an introduction from Dylan Jones OBE, editor-in-chief of the London Evening Standard.

The book is separated by Bonds in chronological order, namely Sean Connery, Roger Moore, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig, each chapter filled with the most iconic looks from the actors’ films, from Dr. No to No Time To Die. In addition, there are extensive behind-the-scenes insights and stories from both the costume designers who worked on every movie as well the actual designers behind the outfits—think: Donatella Versace, Tom Ford, and Jenny Packham—plus a host of actors, from Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig to Michelle Yeoh and Grace Jones. These anecdotes reveal the sheer scale of the business that is Bond style, for instance, thirty-three bespoke Tom Ford tuxedos were made for No Time To Die in record time (and received just twenty- four hours before filming), while in Quantum Of Solace, Prada fabricated twenty dresses for Olga Kurylenko—as she wore the piece through most of the film, they needed one dress for each stage of the action, from brand-new to dust-covered to ruined.

And all the most memorable moments are inside, like Ursula Andress emerging from the waves in that famous white bikini, to the homages to that scene: Halle Berry in a shocking orange La Perla bathing suit in Die Another Day, and, in a completely unplanned and now completely viral take, Daniel Craig, also in La Perla, on a Bahamian beach in Casino Royale (one of the trunks used was later auctioned for £44,450).

Thanks to its never-before-seen sketches, detailed fashion analysis, and extensive research by the series official archivist, we’re confident in saying that no book in history has chronicled the sartorial aspect of the Bond franchise as comprehensively as James Bond Style, otherwise known as the ultimate Bond style bible.