Although Beyond the Light – Episode 6: Designing Bond’s Outfits was released at the end of last month, it’s a fitting time to revisit the episode as the community looks ahead to August and the next opportunities to learn more about 007 First Light.
The episode explores how Bond’s wardrobe evolved alongside his origin story through insights from Franchise Art Director Rasmus Poulsen, Lead and Senior Character Artist Beatrice Harty, No Time to Die costume designer Suttirat Anne Larlarb, and representatives from British clothing brand Orlebar Brown: Design Manager Sammy Briden and Chief Marketing Officer Trevor Hardy.
One of the episode’s highlights is the continued involvement of creative talent from the James Bond films. While 007 First Light is first and foremost the result of IO Interactive‘s own creative vision, collaborations with people who have helped shape Bond on screen create meaningful links to the franchise’s cinematic legacy. In Episode 6, that includes Academy Award-nominated No Time to Die costume designer Suttirat Anne Larlarb. Although her involvement in the project was already known, this is the first opportunity to hear her talk about the collaboration on camera and share her perspective on Bond’s wardrobe for the game.
As the developers explain, Bond’s wardrobe reflects his own journey throughout the story. Fresh out of the Royal Navy and newly recruited by MI6, he gradually evolves from a young recruit with an instinctive sense of style into a more refined and self-assured version of the character.As Rasmus Poulsen points out, striking that balance was no easy task, as Bond is a character who must be able to adapt to any situation. Whether attending a formal event or carrying a rifle in a perfectly tailored suit, every outfit needs to feel equally believable.
Orlebar Brown faced a different challenge. Having spent years creating official James Bond collections inspired by the films, the British clothing brand instead had to help define the look of a much younger Bond with no established cinematic appearance to build upon. Inspired by the game’s locations and artistic direction, the resulting wardrobe embraces tailored clothing while using colour to reflect Bond’s youth without losing sight of the timeless style associated with the character.
If you’d like to explore those inspirations in more detail, we’ve previously broken down the official Orlebar Brown collection, showing how each piece draws from classic Bond looks and how fans can recreate Bond’s evolving style with the garments featured in the collaboration.
Those looking for even more behind-the-scenes insights should also check out our coverage of Beyond the Light – Episode 2: Cast and Characters. In addition to a detailed breakdown, it features highlights from Beatrice Harty’s live Q&A and further insight into the team’s approach to bringing the characters of 007 First Light to life.
Fortunately, there may not be long to wait for even more behind-the-scenes insights. Translating Bond, a Beloved IP into Playable Characters, a talk by Harty, will take place in less than a month at gamescom devcom in Cologne, Germany.
Although IO Interactive will not have a public booth on the gamescom show floor this year, the studio will still be represented by several developers through talks and industry sessions at gamescom devcom, the business-focused developer conference held alongside the main event.
If we’re able to attend, we’ll be bringing you full coverage from Cologne. We’re also hoping to see Beatrice Harty share additional concept art, character designs or costume explorations that offer an even deeper look into the creative process behind 007 First Light.
Sources:
YouTube.com – 007 First Light – Designing Bond’s Outfits
Dev.Gamescom.global – Translating Bond, a Beloved IP into Playable Characters
