Virtually every summer blockbuster comes with its own wave of corporate tie-ins, from the Cars-branded cups at a fast food joint to special edition Transformers Chevys. Usually these tie-ins are means for brands to associate themselves with a cool movie, and for the studios to get their film’s imagery in front of as many people as possible. The incomparable Brad Slagar has at times even maintained a column about this very topic- the under-appreciate Sell-uloid column that I hope to see run more this year.
In the case of The Great Gatsby though, some of their tie-in relationships aren’t exactly about maximizing eyeballs. Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great American novel is a lavish, 3D spectacle made with a huge budget and an eye towards a blockbuster-style release. Among all of that opulence though, is a lot of very hard work and keen design to replicate the costuming and accessorizing of the 1920s. Catherine Martin –who won two Oscars for her work on Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge— reached out with two interesting companies for Gatsby… Brooks Brothers and Tiffany & Co.
The partnership was a rich one- both companies opened up their archives and historical collections to contribute designs and pieces to the production. Suits, dresses, jewelry, and other luxury items were perfectly replicated, and in the case of Brooks Brothers they opened up their manufacturing plants so that every extra could be outfitted in custom-tailored costumes at a scale that would not usually be possible. You can see more about how these relationships worked out in the embedded videos, which also feature some footage from The Great Gatsby that I’ve not seen elsewhere. Brooks Brothers also has a web page dedicated to the collaboration with some cool BTS shots.
Now that the film is approach release though, this means both companies are touting their Gatsby collections- take a look at some of the available products…
Want to cut your best Leonardo Dicaprio and don Jay Gatsby’s duds? A line of $700 suits will get you there, though ties and cufflinks cost nearly as much. All-in-all that’s not full-on East Egg opulence, though any $200 hat is going to widen my eyes. The full line of items is here. I do like that Ivory Linen suit on the right, I’ll admit. Probably wouldn’t look as good in it wet as Leo does though.
For the ladies to be outfitted Daisy-style though, things get 1%-style right away. You can find some rings, bracelets, and other accessories that range from many hundreds to several thousands of dollars, but if you’re interested in, say, Daisy’s iconic headband, that’s going to cost $200,000.
For the guys to ring their finger with a symbol of their undying obsession is a little more reasonable at $650- the modest sum for the silver/onyx Daisy signet ring.
If you are really looking to make a lady feel like a million bucks though, how about this holyshit expensive ring that actually costs damn near a million bucks? Granted, it’s still a few stacks shy at $875,000…
Finally, if the prices on some of this stuff have brought you to the point of drinking, well, they can handle that for you too. Straight from Jay’s pocket to your lips- a $900 silver flask that makes even your clandestine swigs of bootlegged booze classy as fuck.
I’ll be seeing The Great Gatsby tomorrow- I’m eager to bring you some thoughts about what is sure to be a divisive film…