Kilgrave Cosplay WIP - Jessica Jones (David Tennant)

[mattovarius]

Hey folks! So like many other Tenth Doctor cosplayers, after watching Jessica Jones I decided that I NEED to put together a Kilgrave cosplay. Sadly (and as per usual with David's clothes, as it seems), I'm having a heck of a difficult time trying to find any screen-accurate stuff, or even good reference photos/brand names/etc. So I figured I would start this thread so we can band together and help each other find some info on this (or at least some good alts)!

I found one article (here: http://fashionista.com/2015/11/jessica-jones-costume) that said all of David's clothes were Paul Smith, and that Paul Smith's "last season" clothing had lots of purples. I checked the website and I can't find a single item that was used on screen. Nothing on ebay either, and not even any old images in many Google searches.

SO, I'm not sure if any of this stuff even actually is/was Paul Smith or not. It seems like it very well could be, judging by the cut of his suits and the funky but subtle patterns on his shirts and ties.

My main interest is doing his purple suit with black vest/waistcoat, purple patterned tie and black/purple/navy? patterned shirt, as I feel this is the most easily recognizable variant. Here are a few decent screenshots I grabbed, from episode 7, for reference. I dialed up the brightness just a smidge to make it easier to see the details. At least the black waistcoat will be an easy piece!



I know Magnoli's guys are looking into possibly doing this, but I'd love to find some more info on it. I have a local clothier chain called Ramani where they have TONS of stuff like this, so I'm thinking I'll probably be able to find something there. But until then, happy hunting!

 

[mattovarius]

Doing some more Googling, I found this article which seems to agree that the suit is Paul Smith. No identifying information though, just "suit by Paul Smith, $1,995" http://www.out.com/fashion/2014/05/05/burning-bright

 

[Indy Magnoli]

We're trying to source a purple sharkskin wool (like the original) but I'm sure it won't be easy. In the meantime, we do have a nice wool gabardine in "eggplant" as seen on our Smith Vest:

Interestingly, he seems to have two different (but very similar) purple suits. Both have single-breasted two-button closure, but one has peaked lapels, the other notched, one with straight flapped pockets, the other with angled besom (no flaps) pockets. -

Kind regards,
Magnoli

 

[TheGingerDoctor]

Doing some more Googling, I found this article which seems to agree that the suit is Paul Smith. No identifying information though, just "suit by Paul Smith, $1,995" http://www.out.com/fashion/2014/05/05/burning-bright
View attachment 560959

This suit is currently on eBay for $600. It's from their Byard line. I thought it was SA but it turns out it's not, as his police station suit features a polka dot lining and this suit does not. The cut of the PS suit, however, is spot on, with the exception of the stitching on the inner edge - his suit has flat edging and the PS suit has a pucker (as Kilgrave's polka dot waistcoat also has).



This suit is definitely storebought, however, as there's evidence of a tag sewn into the left front panel under the pocket. I'm not convinced that the fabric is pure purple, either - I think there's touches of blue and red and yellow in there to give it texture.

And Indy is right - he has two similar but different suits in purple. I'm willing to bet that the other purple suit is this PS from the same Byard line but in purple.

 

[mattovarius]

This suit is currently on eBay for $600. It's from their Byard line. I thought it was SA but it turns out it's not, as his police station suit features a polka dot lining and this suit does not. The cut of the PS suit, however, is spot on, with the exception of the stitching on the inner edge - his suit has flat edging and the PS suit has a pucker (as Kilgrave's polka dot waistcoat also has).

View attachment 561049 View attachment 561051

This suit is definitely storebought, however, as there's evidence of a tag sewn into the left front panel under the pocket. I'm not convinced that the fabric is pure purple, either - I think there's touches of blue and red and yellow in there to give it texture.

And Indy is right - he has two similar but different suits in purple. I'm willing to bet that the other purple suit is this PS from the same Byard line but in purple.

Thanks so much for sharing this! Earlier I had found one purple PS suit on ebay, but it's the one without pocket flaps and has only a single-button closure (or so it seems from the photos anyway). Somehow, the Byard one didn't show up unless I typed it in by name.

Anyway, thanks for bringing it to my attention!

 

[TheGingerDoctor]

Somehow, the Byard one didn't show up unless I typed it in by name.

Anyway, thanks for bringing it to my attention!

No problem. I'm a bit of an eBay guru. It'd be a fantastic alt for someone with $600 to drop on an alt.

Does anyone know of any high res set stills? There's one of him outside in the blue Burberry coat, one of him in the tan overcoat, and a blurry one of him in the heavy black wool suit, but beyond that I can't find any at all. I've been collecting screengrabs but there's nothing like being able to zoom in on a coat button and simply read the ID off the garment itself.

 

[locogirlp]

No problem. I'm a bit of an eBay guru. It'd be a fantastic alt for someone with $600 to drop on an alt.Does anyone know of any high res set stills? There's one of him outside in the blue Burberry coat, one of him in the tan overcoat, and a blurry one of him in the heavy black wool suit, but beyond that I can't find any at all. I've been collecting screengrabs but there's nothing like being able to zoom in on a coat button and simply read the ID off the garment itself.

Hi everyone, I hope you won't mind my butting into the conversation. There are quite a few high-res production stills but sadly, not all are available. There are some stills at our website here:http://www.david-tennant-news.com/gallery-stunning-new-pictures-from-jessica-jones/ but they are around 1024x683 and aren't as hi-res as might be desired.

David's costume designer for Jessica Jones (Stephanie Maslansky) has stated they scoured Manhattan for purple clothes for Kilgrave because they decided early on that because of his unique ability to demand whatever he wished, in no two scenes would Kilgrave ever wear the same suit. (Better explained in detail in thie Fashionista article linked above.) This presents a huge problem for SA cosplayers, of course, but it also means there's a lot of flexibility. David himself has said they ranged into the navy by the end of production because they were running out of purple clothing to choose from!

FYI: The tan overcoat is actually David's own personal coat -- that's a behind-the-scenes set shot between takes. Speaking of that, Paul Smith wasn't introduced to David via Jessica Jones - he's been one of David's own personal favorite designers for a few years now. The fit of Smith's clothing is perfect for David's lean, lanky frame.

In one scene Kilgrave wears a digital print long sleeved shirt that may be sourced from the same source as this Hugo Boss Digital Print Short Sleeve shirt.

I hope I've helped in some small way by providing some further information behind the thought processes of the costuming designer.

 

[mattovarius]

Hi everyone, I hope you won't mind my butting into the conversation. There are quite a few high-res production stills but sadly, not all are available. There are some stills at our website here:http://www.david-tennant-news.com/gallery-stunning-new-pictures-from-jessica-jones/ but they are around 1024x683 and aren't as hi-res as might be desired.

David's costume designer for Jessica Jones (Stephanie Maslansky) has stated they scoured Manhattan for purple clothes for Kilgrave because they decided early on that because of his unique ability to demand whatever he wished, in no two scenes would Kilgrave ever wear the same suit. (Better explained in detail in thie Fashionista article linked above.) This presents a huge problem for SA cosplayers, of course, but it also means there's a lot of flexibility. David himself has said they ranged into the navy by the end of production because they were running out of purple clothing to choose from!

FYI: The tan overcoat is actually David's own personal coat -- that's a behind-the-scenes set shot between takes. Speaking of that, Paul Smith wasn't introduced to David via Jessica Jones - he's been one of David's own personal favorite designers for a few years now. The fit of Smith's clothing is perfect for David's lean, lanky frame.

In one scene Kilgrave wears a digital print long sleeved shirt that may be sourced from the same source as this Hugo Boss Digital Print Short Sleeve shirt.

I hope I've helped in some small way by providing some further information behind the thought processes of the costuming designer.

Thanks for the info on the digital shirt! I really like that one as well.

 

[mattovarius]

So in one of my Amazon searches for a purple waistcoat (just for my own personal wardrobe) I stumbled upon a couple of cheap alt options for a purple Kilgrave suit:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...liid=I1IJOMQ4MAJD6I&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...liid=I1FP4HBX3TOJTV&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl

Neither one are top quality, as they are mostly polyester (yuck), however, if you want to put a Kilgrave outfit together and don't want to spend $600+, these are great budget options. They are around $90 - $150, depending on size. The color is a nice shade of purple, and they are slim cut so they look the part. Obviously not screen accurate, but pretty solid alts with budget-friendly pricetags!

 

[Indy Magnoli]

Some polyesters can be really nice. I remember making one Joker jacket out of 100% polyester and when it arrived, I was blown away... it looked like a high end wool (very similar to this Kilgrave suit actually). That being said, our supplier only stock good stuff, so I'm sure a low-priced eBay seller would not be using the same polyester. But... a higher priced polyester could do the trick.

 

[JmanTurtleMan]

So in one of my Amazon searches for a purple waistcoat (just for my own personal wardrobe) I stumbled upon a couple of cheap alt options for a purple Kilgrave suit:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...liid=I1IJOMQ4MAJD6I&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...liid=I1FP4HBX3TOJTV&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl

Neither one are top quality, as they are mostly polyester (yuck), however, if you want to put a Kilgrave outfit together and don't want to spend $600+, these are great budget options. They are around $90 - $150, depending on size. The color is a nice shade of purple, and they are slim cut so they look the part. Obviously not screen accurate, but pretty solid alts with budget-friendly pricetags!

Thank you for this! I definitely want to do a Kilgrave cosplay, but I can't spend that kind of money. I'll be really interested if someone could find a cheap alternative to the shirt and tie from the police station outfit.

I did manage to find these:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CWDTAIG/

http://www.amazon.com/H6084-Purple-...es&qid=1449043654&ref=sr_1_32&ie=UTF8&sr=8-32

http://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Soda-F...0&qid=1449030993&ref=mp_s_a_1_70&sr=8-70&th=0

Again, not screen accurate, and the shirt is rather expensive.

 

[TheGingerDoctor]

In one scene Kilgrave wears a digital print long sleeved shirt that may be sourced from the same source as this Hugo Boss Digital Print Short Sleeve shirt.

It's actually a Paul Smith fabric, though I can only find it in short sleeve with a button-down collar. I was hoping to keep the ID under wraps until I found it in long sleeve but I think that it's custom as it wouldn't be the first time a Paul Smith fabric was purchased to make a custom shirt. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Paul-Smith-...z%2F6Na8RgX74Ow947g7Q%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

 

[TheGingerDoctor]

Also, really close match to the Donegal suit Kilgrave wears. Also PS. http://www.ebay.com/itm/BNWT-MENS-P...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

[mattovarius]

It's actually a Paul Smith fabric, though I can only find it in short sleeve with a button-down collar. I was hoping to keep the ID under wraps until I found it in long sleeve but I think that it's custom as it wouldn't be the first time a Paul Smith fabric was purchased to make a custom shirt. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Paul-Smith-...z%2F6Na8RgX74Ow947g7Q%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

Any ideas on the black patterned shirt he's wearing in the police station scene? From what I can tell so far it seems like a black cotton shirt with either a purple or navy floral/paisley (ish?) pattern. So far I can't find a single thing that looks even remotely close.

 

[mattovarius]

Good news! The ebay seller accepted my offer on the Paul Smith purple Byard suit mentioned above! So within the next couple of weeks, I'll be the proud owner of a, let's say, 95% screen accurate suit? ^_^ I'll definitely be posting plenty of photos of it once it arrives to give you a better idea of the color and such, as the seller's photos were a bit blown-out and over exposed. Now my search for the waistcoat, shirt and tie begins...

 

[mattovarius]

MAJOR props to Drivernj (Instagram) for finding info on this shirt, which seems to be the one from this scene!

Also from their Byard line:
http://www.lyst.com/clothing/paul-smith-navy-floral-print-byard-shirt/?reason=feed-product

Or this, but they appear to be identical to my eye (possibly the first one just has a more randomized arrangement of the flora?): http://www.lyst.com/clothing/paul-smith-london-byard-floral-shirt-blue/

Sadly they appear to be out of stock forever (no surprise there). But at least we have some reference photos now!

 

[TheGingerDoctor]

Awesome find on the shirt! I'm starting to think the costumer literally just purchased the entire Byard line!

Got an ID on the watch brand. It's from A. Lange & Söhne (ah LANG-eh unt ZURN-neh), which typically runs watches for between $20K and $500K a piece. The closest model I can find online is the 1815 Chronograph Manual which retails for around $200,000. Even though it's not 100% screen accurate, it at least gives an idea of the price range and style. http://www.watchesonnet.com/a-lange-sohne-421-032.html?gclid=CN2E0uXswckCFYKXgQod-eML6g

It's possible he has two watches, a gold and a silver one, but I can't find any silver Lange watches with red straps - they're all black straps - so I think the watch simply looks silver in the dinner scene from 1000 Cuts. Even though Kilgrave could walk into any watch store and "persuade" the owners to give him any watch he wanted, gratis, I think it's unlikely they'd outfit him with more than one $200K watch.

 

[mattovarius]

WOW. Well I certainly can't afford that! XD Doing a very quick Amazon search for "wristwatch gold face brown band," I found this $100 watch that looks pretty darn good - there seem to be many more like it as well, so finding a "close enough" watch with a MUCH lower price tag shouldn't be too difficult, at least.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0... brown band&qid=1449232862&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

 

[mattovarius]

So I stopped by my local clothier yesterday and picked up a nice 5-button vest/waistcoat. It doesn't have the micro-dot texture like the original, but for some reason that seems to be really hard to find, even though it's solid black. So this is perfectly fine with me for now - it looks the part, and I can always upgrade if I find a textured one in the future



And, more excitingly, I bought a really nice floral shirt from them that I think is a pretty fantastic alt for the police station shirt. I've done a little comparison photo here for a general idea - the lighting in my photo is not good (a bit dim in their shop), so once the tailoring is done and I get the shirt next week, I'll definitely upload some better photos. The colors here look a bit off, but in person, to my eye the base shade looks almost dead on. It's a navy base with blue, black, and purple flora. Plus the shirt has some nice unique quirks, like a thin strip of purple corduroy fabric underneath the collar and cuffs, and purple buttons. It seemed like a good fit The more I look at it, the more I like it!



Sadly they didn't have a purple tie similar enough to this one. So for now, I'll be wearing this tie and pocket square:



Obviously they are not screen-accurate whatsoever, BUT, they were too gorgeous to pass up. Plus I feel like the pattern is so similar to the St. George by Duffer worn by DT in the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary episode that it made sense to pair these with another DT character I'll definitely be upgrading to more accurate alts as I come across them, but I think for now, these will look pretty damn sharp!

 

[mattovarius]

FYI folks, it looks like there are actually a couple of those London Floral Byard shirts left for sale (94GBP), although only in neck sizes 16.5 or 17.5, here: http://www.jonathantrumbull.co.uk/shirts-c7/navy-floral-print-byard-shirt-p53603

If only they had my size!